Code Geass: the Strategist of Shadows
by Elia41
Summary: When his father calls him out on his weakness, a nine-year-old Lelouch ignites his Spark and is sent to Ravnica, only to meet the Gatewatch. Eight years later, a young mentalist and shadow manipulator finds himself at the wrong place at the wrong time. Fortunately for him, his powers are strong. Unfortunately for Britannia, he isn't on their side.
1. The youngest Planeswalker

The youngest Planeswalker

"You are dead. You have been dead from the moment you were born. Who gave you the clothes you wear? Your home, your food, your very life! All of those, I have given to you! In short, you have never actually lived! And yet, you dare to speak such foolishness to me? Lelouch, as you are dead, you have no right!"

Words falling like a hammer on a young heart, battering it, shattering it in a hundred pieces. You are dead. You have no right. You don't exist. A young mind, trying to process the meaning of the words, stubbornly refusing to realize their true meaning. Yet it didn't have a choice. He understood. He understood all too well. His sister was weak, a cripple. And he didn't exist.

He didn't live.

Lost in his thoughts, he only barely heard the words of the Emperor – _I am sending you and Nunnally to Japan. As prince and princess, you will serve as bargaining chips_ – but his mind heard them loud and clear. Bargaining chips. Tools. He and his sister truly meant nothing to their father.

Something Ignited. A Spark that had been dormant for nine years, ever since the prince was born. A power that awakened and burst ablaze.

Before the startled eyes of the royal court, Lelouch vi Britannia disappeared.

–v–

He was falling. Where he was or when, he didn't know. The world around him felt like a sea of chaotic energy that dragged him further and further away from his world, away from his home. He didn't know how long the journey lasted, but it ended eventually. Something cold and hard touched his body. Groaning, the boy looked around.

Stone. He was in a dark alleyway. Rising on his feet, he looked for the exit, not too far from his landing place. Carefully, he stepped toward it… and froze. The panorama was something totally different from anything he had ever seen.

Towering spires of white stone, going further than the highest towers of Pendragon. Hanging gardens and twisting trees jumping over the street, providing welcoming shade. Airborne canals and aqueducts binding buildings together in an intricate net. People in foreign clothing, walking, arguing, laughing, living. To a childish mind, it was like waking up in a dream. Except the dream was very real.

Its name was Ravnica.

"Are you lost, kid?"

The boy turned to see two reptilian creatures, both wearing rags and wielding knives with a toothed, sharpened edge. Their white fangs were perfectly visible in their grinning mouth. One look at them and he was running for the exit.

"Catch him!" One of the lizardmen screeched.

Lelouch heard it. He ran faster. As he barged in the main street, one of the viashinos grabbed him by the cape. Fortunately, the chain was pure gold and snapped easily. The boy didn't slow down. He ran straight in front of him, not caring where he was going as long as it was away from the thugs. His mad race was stopped when he collided with something hard and metallic.

"Hey!" A man yelped. "Huh? Are you alright?"

Lelouch looked up. What he'd crashed into was the armored leg of a man, tall, buff and of Mediterranean appearance. His long hair was tied in a ponytail and his beard seemed to form some kind of muttonchops. The man knelt to the boy and held his hand. Lelouch was about to take it when the voices of the viashino thugs echoed.

"There he is!"

"Catch him!"

Instinctively, Lelouch hid behind the man who frowned.

"I see…"

The next second, four leashes of light sprung from his forearm, binding the viashino to the ground.

"Trying to mug a kid. I swear, those Rakdos have no respect for anything. And no mercy either."

He turned to the boy, who was still clinging to his leg.

"It's alright. They won't hurt you anymore."

Lelouch meekly nodded. In his mind, he was seeing again and again the leashes of light that were currently holding the lizardmen. He had never seen anything like this before. A winged silhouette flew by their side.

"Gideon? What's going on?"

The man, Gideon, turned to the angel.

"It's nothing, Asura. Just two Rakdos muggers who picked on a kid. If you could take them away…"

The angel looked at the thugs and nodded.

"Right away."

Gideon smiled at his friend and turned to the boy… only to freeze when a very familiar power touched his own. His eyes widened.

' _No, it can't be true! That boy… He has the Spark!?_ '

Lelouch didn't say anything, merely clinging to his leg. Gideon looked carefully at him.

Short black hair, soft features with an air of nobility despite his young age, iridescent purple eyes that were looking at him with worry, but it was the clothes that struck the most. They were regal and obviously of higher quality, but most of all, they fit none of any Ravnican guild's fashion. And it was definitely a Planeswalker's Spark he sensed in the boy's soul.

"Hey kid…" He asked softly. "How old are you?"

"…Nine."

Gideon held his surprise. What exactly happened to a nine-year-old boy for him to ignite his Spark? Asura was still around. He called her.

"Asura! When you're done, could you contact the Living Guildpact? Tell him Gideon Jura needs his wisdom regarding a particularly important matter." After a hesitation, he added. "Tell him as well we may need the assistance of the others."

The angel nodded. Gideon turned to the boy and smiled.

"Alright, let's find somewhere quieter. By the way, what's your name?"

"Lelouch."

–v–

Jace was surprised when a Guildless angel entered Guildpact's Chamber.

"Excuse me." She said politely. "I have a message from Gideon Jura. He says he needs your wisdom regarding a very important matter. You may need the assistance of the others."

Jace's eyes widened. A quick brush with the angel's mind told him everything he needed to know. The discovery left him floored.

"Find Gideon." He said very quietly. "Tell him I'm coming."

As the angel left, the telepath took the time to catch him breath. His friend had found another Planeswalker… a nine-year-old boy, obviously of origins foreign to Ravnica. There was only one explanation for how he could have ended here; no living being could cross the Blind Eternities and emerge intact unless they had the Planeswalker's Spark. Now, how in the Multiverse did the kid ignite his? If his memory served him, the youngest ignition known was Chandra, at eleven. Planeswalkers discovered their powers either during teenage or early adulthood. A child awakening was unheard of… but he could be mistaken. Swiftly, Jace left his room and headed to the Ninth District, the district dedicated to the Guildless since the events of the Implicit Maze. This was where Gideon had set shop of sorts, acting as an authority figure and a protector toward those who renounced the Guilds.

But, just like him, the hieromancer was a Planeswalker. They had more than one home. It was especially true of both men, who belonged to the organization called the Gatewatch, a group of five Planeswalkers so far, all dedicated to protecting the Multiverse from threats a single person couldn't handle. The Gatewatch's main headquarter was in Zendikar, at New Sea Gate. Despite this, the only steady resident was Nissa Revane, who was native of the plane. Liliana felt at home in Innistrad and Chandra was actually the abbot of Keral Keep, in Regatha. Gideon spent his time between Ravnica and Zenkidar and was native of Theros, while Jace was the Living Guildpact of Ravnica, de-facto leader of the whole plane.

He quickly sent a mental message to the three other members of the group.

' _Come to Ravnica, Gideon found something._ '

He reached Gideon's home an hour later. The hieromancer was here, as well as a young boy who was sipping a cup of warm liquid. Gideon was watching him, a gentle smile on his face. It didn't take long for Jace to sense the boy's power.

' _He has the Spark. And he is exactly as young as I've seen in the angel's memory._ '

Gideon turned to him and smiled.

"Lelouch, meet my friend, Jace. Jace, this is Lelouch."

As the telepath looked at the boy, Lelouch gave the man an once-over. He was shorter than Gideon by half a head, and considerably less muscular despite the blue robes with silver patterns that shrouded his body. His eyes and hair were brown, and blue markings adorned his cheeks and chin. Then he felt something touch his mind, as if someone was looking in his head. Jace's eyes were glowing…

"Get out of my head!"

The telepath narrowly avoided the cup, which crashed on the wall. He turned to the boy, who was glaring angrily at him. This time, Jace was softer in his probing of the boy's mind.

"He's a telepath." He uttered as he sensed the boy's mind react to his presence. "A latent one, but me touching his mind was enough to awaken it."

Gideon smiled.

"You two are going to get along fine, then."

Jace nodded. The boy was a nine-year-old telepathic Planeswalker. He would need guidance to use his powers without hurting himself or others. As he sat at the table, Gideon went to retrieve the broken cup.

"It's alright." Jace reassured the boy. "I didn't expect you would have powers like mine. It's quite a surprise actually."

"Powers… like yours?"

"Yes, the ability to sense people's minds and read them. I can do that, and it seems you can do it as well since you can sense my mind."

Indeed, Lelouch could sense the man's mind around him, and Gideon's as well. They felt different, though. Gideon's mind felt bright and sturdy, unshakable. Jace's mind was a twisting maze of water and wind, which he didn't know how to grapple because it felt so slippery. Annoyed, the boy decided to hell with subtlety and sent his consciousness toward the man's. The maze became an iron wall he crashed upon. Jace held a chuckle as he saw the boy massage his head.

"No, not like that."

Gideon looked at him. Jace shrugged.

"He tried to read my mind and crashed against my defenses."

"Ouch."

The mentalist nodded and looked at the boy.

"You were too brutal in your attempt. To read someone's mind, you have to be gentle, otherwise you will tear it apart. Here, let me show you."

His mind reached to the boy like a feather, caressing it, cuddling it. After a moment, Lelouch let him enter. He could feel the man in him, looking at his memories. It was gentle indeed, painless as the tendrils searched for information about the boy's identity, what his world was like. Instinctively, he brought the information to him. At the same time, his own childish mind was poking and tickling Jace's, looking for an entrance. The mentalist let him and the boy watched as memories came to him.

People and places, all stranger than others. Words he didn't understand and faces he didn't recognize. Events he knew nothing about and knowledge he didn't know what to make of. Some things, he noted, were tightly protected behind an iron wall. He poked it, mostly out of curiosity. The mental defenses were sturdy. Finally, he saw three faces, each with a name, as well as Jace and Gideon. Words came to him along the names.

 _ **Jace Beleren**_ _– For the sake of the Multiverse, I will keep watch._

 _ **Gideon Jura**_ _– For justice and peace, I will keep watch._

 _ **Chandra Nalaar**_ _– If it means that people can live in freedom, yeah, I'll keep watch._

 _ **Nissa Revane**_ _– For the life of every plane, I will keep watch._

 _ **Liliana Vess**_ _\- If that means I can do what needs to be done without relying on the Chain Veil, then I'll keep watch. Happy now?_

An oath. A promise. He tried to look for more, to learn more about it, only to be softly rebutted.

' _Gentle, I said._ ' Jace's voice echoed in his head. ' _You're being too eager._ '

' _But I want to know!_ '

' _Later. There is so much you have to learn, Lelouch vi Britannia. It will take time, for you to learn and me and my friends to teach._ '

' _You're… really gonna teach me?_ '

' _Yes. An untrained mind mage can cause a lot of harm, to himself and others. Besides, I am the best mentalist in the Multiverse, with maybe the exception of Bolas._ '

The picture of a gigantic dragon flashed in the boy's mind, causing him to recoil. At the same time, Jace looked into the young Planeswalker's memories. What he found made him frown.

Lelouch vi Britannia, eleventh son of Emperor Charles zi Britannia, seventeenth in line for the throne. Nine-year-old, born of Imperial Consort Marianne vi Britannia, has a little sister called Nunnally, three year younger.

' _God…_ ' Jace thought to himself as he looked in the boy's memories. ' _What a messed-up family._ '

And a huge one at that. Charles has a hundred and eight wives, and even more children, all vying for the throne, all trying to outdo the other through manipulation, scheming and backstabbing. A typical decadent, racist and Darwinist aristocracy where the weak served the strong or were crushed by them. The Britannian Empire they ruled controlled half of the world, mainly because of that mentality. And the boy belonged to it.

Except, not anymore. He watched as the boy walked one morning and found the body of his dead mother, her little sister trapped under her. There had been an assassination attempt and the woman had lost her life. The girl, Nunnally, had lived, but her legs had been injured and the trauma had rendered her blind. A cripple. His heart full of sorrow and rage, Lelouch had confronted his father, only to be violently rebutted. Jace winced at the Emperor's words.

"This guy is an asshole."

"Who?" Gideon asked.

"His father."

Gideon said nothing and sat, patiently waiting for his friend to finish reading the child's memories.

As it turned, the rebuttal had been the last straw in the young prince's heart. His Spark had ignited, taking him to Ravnica where he crashed into Gideon while fleeing from some viashino.

Jace breathed.

"Poor kid. The past days have been exhausting, huh?"

Lelouch looked down. Jace caressed his shoulder.

"It's alright. You're safe, now. We'll take care of you."

"What do you mean, we?"

Both Gideon and Jace turned to the entrance. Three women stood there, all different from the other. The first had a golden diadem and a purple dress, and a haughty gaze that made Lelouch shrink in his seat. The second was red in clothes and hair and had strange devices on her arms. Finally, the last had long pointy hairs, a green robe and a wooden scepter.

The woman with a diadem spoke.

"Jace, what is this child doing here? Since when do we pick strays?"

"Since this boy is a nascent mentalist and the youngest Planeswalker I've ever met." Jace answered matter-o-factly.

Liliana sighed.

"Another mind mage. Perfect… Wait, he is a Planeswalker!?"

"Yes."

Nissa looked at him and crossed his arms.

"I can sense his power… How old is he? It surprises me that someone so young could ignite his Spark."

"He's nine." Gideon answered. "And I don't know how his Spark ignited, but his family is apparently quite nasty."

"That's an understatement." Jace scoffed. "Lelouch's family rules over the largest empire of his plane, and it is one of the most royally screwed-up I have ever seen. _Literally_. Just to give you an idea, his father's reaction to his mother being assassinated was, and I quote ' _Old news, what of it?_ ' Seriously."

Chandra cringed.

"Good thing he's with us, I get?"

"You have no idea. His father was going to send him and his sister to another country as bargaining chips. And his sister is blind and paralyzed from the waist down."

Chandra's hair ignited reflexively.

"Did you find what ignited his Spark?" Nissa asked.

"Yes. It was his father putting him down when he called him out for not protecting his mother and sister. Combined with the trauma of seeing his mother dead and his sister injured, it gave him a break down that, well…"

"Took him there." Chandra said quietly.

Liliana crossed her arms.

"When did he arrive?"

"About two hours ago." Gideon answered. "That's when his Spark ignited."

The necromancer looked at him and Jace in disbelief.

"When you said he was the youngest Planeswalker, you weren't kidding! Nine, and just awoken! By the way, what is it you found?"

"Him."

Jace crossed his arms and looked at his friends.

"Planeswalkers meeting other Planeswalkers right after their awakening is very rare. Planeswalkers _that young_ are unheard of. Right now, Lelouch is sad, frightened and lost, and his whole family has turned on him. The only person he has left is his little sister, and even then, she can do nothing for him. We have to decide what we'll do with him since leaving him alone is out of question."

"What have you decided?" Nissa asked.

"Keep him. He is a telepath so I'm considering taking him as a student."

Chandra looked at Jace.

"His family is that bad?"

As an answer, the mentalist sent her what he found in the boy's mind. For the second time, the pyromancer's hair burst ablaze.

" _Keep_." She said with a snarl.

"I will keep him as well." Gideon decided. "The way things are right now, he might as well be an orphan."

Nissa didn't answer immediately.

"It is rare for Planeswalkers to have the privilege of teaching their kind. I will be one of his caretakers."

The whole group turned to Liliana. The necromancer returned the look, then shrugged and sighed.

"Majority wins."

Jace smiled, then looked at Lelouch as he tugged his sleeve.

"Yes?"

"Say…" The boy asked timidly. "What is a Planeswalker?"

Nissa smiled gently.

"Before we answer that, I suggest you get some sleep. The past days have been rough for you, and you have much to learn about your kind."


	2. Little trouble in big Japan

Little trouble in big Japan

It didn't take long for the young Planeswalker to fall asleep. As soon as he was, Jace mentally shared his findings with the rest of the Gatewatch. Gideon seemed exasperated, Chandra was floored, Nissa had pity in her eyes and Liliana was amused.

"Well, the boy sure has an interesting family!"

"I want to find these guys and burn them to a crisp." Chandra hissed. "How they dare treat their own children like that!? No, seriously, tools?"

"Welcome among the aristocracy, Fiery."

"What worries me is his sister's fate." Gideon frowned. "Blind, crippled, and sent to another country as a glorified hostage."

"But she isn't a Planeswalker." Nissa crossed her arms. "Unlike her brother, she cannot cross the Blind Eternities to escape her world."

"No." Chandra shook her head. "To keep her safe, we have to train the boy. That's the only way, and I am totally for it."

Jace looked at Lelouch's sleeping form.

"His sister means the world to him. She is basically the only thing he has left. We'll have to rescue her at some point. The question is: when?"

"What do you mean?" Nissa asked.

"What I mean is: do we train Lelouch until his powers are strong enough and pray nothing happens to Nunnally in the meantime, or do we find Nunnally, rescue her from any trouble, and keep an eye on her while we train her brother? Keep in mind that option will make us spend a considerable amount of time on their plane."

The Worldwaker was thoughtful.

"Is there any major crisis that we need to handle at the moment?"

The Gatewatch looked at one another.

"Not that we know."

"Then we can afford to spend time in Lelouch and Nunnally's world to train him. I do not remotely trust their family, and feel better knowing both children are safe."

Jace looked around. No one disagreed. In fact, Liliana even seemed a bit curious.

"Then it's set. When Lelouch wakes up, he and I are going to his plane to find his sister. The others will remain on standby."

–v–

When Jace asked him for more information about his world, Lelouch gladly opened his mind. It didn't take long for the mentalist to set a plan. The first step was going back.

"Don't let go of my hand. When we'll fall, you'll have to stay as close to my presence as possible. Here's where we're going to land. Hold it in your head and let me guide you."

The boy nodded. In a blink, the pair disappeared and he once more felt this sensation of falling in a chaotic sea. But he wasn't alone, this time. In the Blind Eternities, Jace's mind radiated with power. Lelouch went straight for it, holding on it like a lifebelt. When they finally arrived, Jace was surprised to find him in his arms.

"What was that?" Lelouch asked.

" _That_ was the Blind Eternities, the infinite space of energies that separates every plane. Only Planeswalkers like us can cross it safely."

"And the others?"

Jace winced.

"Anyone else will die on contact." He looked at the boy. "The Multiverse holds an infinite number of planes, all separated by the Blind Eternities. Only us Planeswalkers can cross it safely, hence our name."

With a wave, an illusion covered his body, replacing his blue robes by something less eye-catching. He was now wearing blue pants with stylish loafers, a white shirt and a half-open blue vest with ornate sleeve ends. Dressed like that, Lelouch couldn't help but think he looked casual.

"One last thing: you can't tell anyone about the different planes. The existence of the Multiverse is a secret kept only between Planeswalkers, and so is the fact someone is a Planeswalker."

The boy nodded. Jace looked around. They were in a dark alley, not far from an airport.

"Alright. Now, to hitch a ride to Japan…"

But, first, they needed money. For the mentalist, the task was trivial. They quickly spotted a noble, recognizable by his fancy elaborate outfit and the two scantily-clad girls at his side.

" _Greetings, good sir._ " Jace said politely as his eyes glowed blue. " _Do you have some money to spare for my son and I to buy a ticket to Japan? Preferentially not in third class._ "

The man, completely enthralled by the mentalist's power, quickly picked his wallet.

"Of course! Here, this should be enough."

He handed them several bills. Jace noticed none went below three hundred dollars, and this was the smallest he had. He mentally congratulated himself for his good pick. With the money, they would have not only enough for a flight with dinner included, but also for whatever mean of transport and accommodation they needed once they were in Japan.

The flight took several hours. Jace had been in other flying machines, but none really compared to the plane, and so the experience was new. Lelouch hungrily devoured the food served, and Jace didn't blame him. After everything that had happened to him, the boy had to be starving. They landed in Japan by nightfall.

"Let's find a hotel and spend the night there." The mentalist smiled. "Tomorrow, we'll look for your sister."

Lelouch looked away.

"Father wanted to use us as political hostages. We should look among the people in power."

Jace nodded. This seemed like the most logical thing to do.

The night went smoothly. Lelouch fell asleep near-instantly and the mentalist took the time to enjoy some of the commodities the place offered. Running water was rare in other planes, electricity even more, and things like radio and television were just about unheard of. He watched the TV with the sound on its lowest setting so not to wake up the boy, hoping to find some information regarding Nunnally's whereabouts. He was right.

" _Earlier that morning, Nunnally vi Britannia, Twelfth Princess of the Holy Britannian Empire, was placed under the care of Prime Minister Genbu Kururugi as a proof of goodwill from Emperor Charles zi Britannia. The princess was welcomed with the respect due to her rank and currently resides in the Prime Minister's shrine, near Mt. Fuji…_ "

Jace turned the TV off and snuck under the blankets. Kururugi shrine, Mt. Fuji. They would go tomorrow.

The next morning, after a good breakfast, the pair went to fetch a cab.

"So, did you find where Nunna is?"

"Yes." Jace smiled at the boy. "She was entrusted to the Prime Minister, Mr. Kururugi, and currently resides in his shrine. I got the address. Now, all we need is a ride."

A taxi stopped. The mentalist looked at him.

"Hello. Could you take us to the Kururugi shrine, near Mt. Fuji?"

"Sorry, sir." The driver retorted. "No one's allowed here unless they were invited."

Jace frowned. It seemed he would need his powers. His eyes glowed blue and his mind seized the driver's.

" _We have been invited by Prime Minister Kururugi to his Shrine. Would you please take us there? I'll pay you once we reach our destination._ "

Completely under the man's thrall, the driver complied. It took them two hours to reach the place. The shrine was located atop a hill, with a long set of steps leading to it. Two guards were keeping the entrance. Jace immediately reached out to them.

" _We are expected._ " He said through his magic. " _Let us pass._ "

The guards let them. As they climbed the stairs, Lelouch looked at him.

"Will you teach me to do that, one day?"

"Definitely." Jace smiled. "Among many other things."

The door was open when they reached the villa. A maid was cleaning. The moment she saw them, she jumped back.

"It's alright." Jace smiled. "I'm just here to see the Prime Minister."

"Wha-what do you want?" The maid asked, frightened.

"He and I need to talk about a girl he has recently welcomed. The boy at my side is her brother."

Lelouch's eyes widened.

"You're not gonna abandon me, right!?"

His voice was panicked. Jace put a hand on his shoulder.

"Not a chance. All five of us agreed to keep you, and this is exactly what we intend to do. You'll just be living here with your sister for the time being."

Lelouch looked down. The mentalist caressed his cheek.

"Don't worry. Whenever you need us, we'll be there. Just reach out to me and I'll know."

The boy nodded meekly. In the meantime, the maid had called the Prime Minister, who came along his son, an elderly man and a man wielding a katana. There were several guards as well.

"I am Prime Minister Genbu Kururugi." The Prime minister said. "Who let you here?"

"The guards." Jace answered innocently. "I came to reunite this boy with his sister. I believe his face is familiar."

The Prime Minister looked at Lelouch's face before taking a step back.

"The Eleventh Prince of Britannia! I heard he went missing during the journey!"

"I have found him." Jace shrugged. "After he told me his story, I decided to help him find his sister, Nunnally. Is she there?"

It was a rhetorical question. The Prime Minister answered regardless.

"Lady Nunnally is here. We are treating her with all the respect she deserves." He crossed his arms. "What about the prince? Are you going to give him to us? After all, he and his sister were meant to be political hostages."

Jace bristled slightly at the word.

"Give is the wrong word. I am going to _entrust_ him to you, as well as his sister. This implies a certain amount of care, not just respect." The mentalist crossed his arms. "As we searched for Lady Nunnally, I've grown rather protective of Lelouch. He and his sister may be your hostages, but they are still children, and both are under my protection."

"What protection could you offer?" The elderly man shrugged. "You don't look like you have a weapon on you."

Jace merely smirked and closed his eyes. The next second, every guard was sound asleep. The mentalist opened a single glowing eye.

"Me on a good day."

The demonstration was impressive enough that the Prime Minister led them to the apartments where Nunnally was resting. Lelouch was all but skipping when they reached the room.

"The lady's here. I do not know what she is doing, though."

Jace nodded and opened the door. A girl with sandy blonde hair and a yellow dress was sitting in a wheelchair, enjoying the sun.

"…Nunna?" Lelouch asked timidly.

The girl turned.

"Big Brother?"

Tears welled in the boy's eyes. Without thinking twice, he ran at his sister and hugged her tight. Jace smiled at the scene, transmitting it to his friends via telepathy. Then something caught his attention. He was at Nunnally's side the next second. Lelouch looked at him.

"Jace? Is there anything wrong?"

"I think."

The mentalist frowned. He could perfectly sense the threads of a spell woven around the young princess's mind. A memory spell. Placing two fingers on her forehead and with a feather-light touch, he took control of it. Unweaving it took time but, eventually, he managed to destroy it. Nunnally's eyes snapped open.

"I see again!"

"Indeed you do." Jace said somberly.

Lelouch turned to him, excited.

"How did you do that? I thought she was blind because of hysteria!"

"She wasn't. It was a memory spell."

Genbu Kururugi and his friends couldn't believe it.

"This is a miracle! Are you some kind of sorcerer –"

"I am a mentalist." Jace retorted. "My powers are based on the mind. Fortunately, my kind is mercifully rare."

The Prime Minister nodded. Jace looked at Nunnally.

"Someone used a spell to alter your memories. Why, I have no idea, but your blindness is related to it."

"I think I know." The girl answered timidly. "It was… Father."

Everyone in the room jumped.

"What? The Emperor!? What do you mean?"

The girl looked down.

"He came to me that morning. When I looked at him, both of his eyes glowed red and I saw a red symbol, a bit like a V with wings. Then my memories changed, that I'd been under Mom when she was murdered and how I was now blind. I remember him telling me that story as his eyes glowed. Then I saw nothing."

"Wait a minute, that doesn't fit."

Jace turned to Lelouch. The boy crossed his arms.

"I remember that day. I was going to the main hall when I found both you and Mom lying in blood. I will never forget it. Ever."

Jace's eyes widened. His hand was at the boy's forehead the next second.

"How the hell did I miss it the first time!?"

Unweaving the memory spell a second time took shorter. The boy's eyes widened.

"He's changed my memories too! He made me believe I had witnessed the scene when I was just sleeping in my room and he went to wake me up."

Jace was fuming. He could feel Chandra's indignation in his head, as well as the disapproval of the rest of the Gatewatch.

"This is how far the Britannian Emperor is willing to stoop. Traumatize two of his children, alter their memories, berate his son when he calls him out for failing to protect his wife, and then use the kids as political tools. No wonder Chandra wants to roast him!"

Genbu went to the trio's side.

"I understand now, what you meant when you told me to care for them. Even if I had the power to alter memories, I would never use it on my son, or even on my friends."

Jace rose and looked at the man.

"Do I have your word that Lelouch and Nunnally will be treated as they deserve?"

"Definitely." A gentle smile crossed the man's face. "I will raise them as my own, despite their situation. They both went through a lot. As long as they'll live in the shrine, they will know peace."

Jace's face softened.

"Thank you very much, Sir."

* * *

 **And here is next chapter. Not much except Lelouch and Nunnally reuniting and Jace undoing the Emperor's Geass.**

 **For the reviews...**

 **\- riseblader: *posts reviews* Twenty minutes later: Update! Lucky day so far?**

 **\- Sphinx360: Lelouch will eventually learn to bond with creatures from other planes and summon them to his side. Very useful to take Nunna along for an adventure... and bring dragons to a Knightmare fight! As for the whole C thing, it will all be exlained in later chapters.**

 **See you soon!**


	3. Might in training

Might in training

"This new is worrisome." Genbu frowned. "I never thought Emperor Charles had the power to rewrite memories. This raises a number of questions I dread to find the answers…"

"Indeed." Jace crossed his arms. "People with mental powers are dangerous. If I were you, just to be on the safe side, I'd look for a way to counter them."

"What do you suggest?"

Lelouch timidly raised his hand.

"Actually, I think I may know."

Everyone turned to him. The Prime Minister seemed skeptical.

"How could you, _boy_ , already know of a way to counter your father's powers?"

"He isn't my father anymore." The boy spat with venom in his mouth. "Anyway, he looked both me and Nunnally in the eyes when he used his powers. Maybe, if we don't look at him directly or we block his line of sight somehow…"

"I take it back." The Prime Minister said with respect in his voice. "That's a clever idea."

"Clever indeed." Jace smiled. "Anyway, there's one last thing I want to tell you about. As we all know now, the Emperor has the ability to rewrite people's memories. Lelouch inherited a variant of the man's ability. More exactly, his powers are more diverse."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean he is a mentalist, just like me. Rather than just manipulating people's memories, he can read thoughts, influence them, alter them, and even erase them, at least once he is trained properly. There are two things I want."

"I'm listening."

The Prime Minister didn't feel safe. If, truly, the boy's powers were so strong…

"Don't worry. Lelouch first needs to be properly trained before being able to perform such feats."

"And… untrained?"

"Then he'll use his powers instinctively, sometimes with disastrous results, unless he decides to learn by himself. In both cases, this is going to be messy."

"I see."

The mentalist looked at the man.

"Anyway, I want two things. First is: you don't tell anyone about Lelouch's powers. That he is a mentalist must remain a secret. Second, we'll need a place to train, preferentially where no one's going to disturb us."

"Both can easily be arranged."

–v–

The Prime Minister made good on his word. No one but the inhabitants of the shrine knew the purple-eyed boy could play with minds. Besides, Lelouch himself was particularly cautious in using his powers, to everyone's relief.

A training ground was set in the furthest reach of the shrine, with a small alarm added to warn of any incoming visitor. It was a simple circular stone floor of about five yards and circled with six pillars, reachable by a path of beaten earth. A canopy could be set in case of bad weather.

"Are you sure it's fine for Nunna to know about us?"

"Of course." Gideon smiled at the boy. "If there is a single person in the entire plane that has the right to know about you being a Planeswalker, it's her."

Now that everything urgent about Lelouch was sorted out, it was time to finally introduce him to the group and give him an in-depth explanation about his newfound nature. Thus, the Gatewatch was now gathered at the training ground, each member sitting in a half circle while Lelouch and Nunnally sat in front of them.

"So…" Chandra cracked her fingers. "Who wants to start?"

Lelouch looked down.

"Actually, I found things about you when I looked into Jace's mind the first time." He looked at each member of the Gatewatch. "Jace Beleren. Gideon Jura. Liliana Vess. Chandra Nalaar. Nissa Revane. You… You each made a vow to defend the Multiverse at some point. That's what I saw."

The group looked at one another.

"He saw the Oath." Nissa understood. "I guess I'll be starting."

The Zenkidari elf stood, her scepter in hand.

"What you saw was the formation of our group. Five years ago, the five of us were put against beings we alone couldn't defeat. Understanding unity is strength, we decided to gather in an organization meant to face challenges lone Planeswalkers would be powerless against. We call ourselves the Gatewatch." The woman smiled. "For now, no threat is worth drawing our attention, so we can focus on training you. As you may have heard, Planeswalkers never ignite their Spark, the source of their power, at such a young age as yours. This is why we decided to take care of you."

Lelouch returned the smile.

"Jace told me about our kind. We are people who possess the power to travel the universes by crossing the Blind Eternities, the chaotic realm that separates them."

"That's the gist of it." Jace looked at the boy. "Along with this ability to jump across the planes, we Planeswalkers tend to be better magicians than others. Simply put, our powers are a cut above, and this is what makes us so dangerous."

"So… It means I'll be as strong as you one day?"

"Boy…" Liliana smirked. "You don't even know what we can do yet."

The woman rose from her seat and walked seductively. Her eyes glowed and a purple and black energy surrounded her as the marks on her body shone with magic.

"I am a necromancer. My powers involve raising the dead, toying with them, corrupting the living and playing with shadows. I'll be honest, _boy_. I am not a good person."

Lelouch turned to Jace, disbelief in his eyes. The mentalist shrugged.

"She saved our lives once. And, just like us, she took the Oath. We mostly stay together out of mutual interest."

"At least, someone's got it straight." Liliana crossed her arms. "My primary interest is power, and getting rid of some pesky debts I made in the past."

Lelouch balled his fists.

"I'll need power to make the Emperor pay for what he did to me and Nunna."

The necromancer's eyes gleamed.

"Then power you shall receive. Just don't expect it to be _easy_."

As she sat back, Jace reclined in his seat.

"You already know about me. I am a mentalist, someone who plays with minds. I also dabble in illusions and countering spells. Because you and I have the same powers, I'll be your primary teacher. If you prove skilled enough, I may even teach you to summon phantasms and countering other people's powers."

The boy's eyes lit up instantly. Gideon was next.

"I am a hieromancer. Mostly, my magic revolves around binding and protecting, but it can have more… _offensive_ properties. That's why I often work as a peace-keeper."

"That you can become invulnerable at will does help." Nissa smiled.

"Yeah, there's also that."

"Really?" Lelouch looked at the man excitedly. "Can I learn to do that too? Please?"

"Unfortunately not. Your powers lie elsewhere."

"Aww…"

His pouting face was almost too much to take. Chandra felt a pool of warmth grow in her chest. Standing, she went to the boy and his sister and knelt.

"I am a pyromancer. My spells specialize in fire, fire and more fire."

"And the occasional magma blast." Gideon quipped.

"As well. Anyway, my magic is fiery, my temper's hot, and I am all-around volatile… unless you happen to be a cute puppy-eyed boy hiding from his evil family."

On this, she flicked his nose. As she went to sit, however, a flame appeared in her hand and her hair ignited. She remained that way for the rest of the conversation.

Nissa finally stood.

"I am an animist. I reach out to the magic of the land and animate it to fight at my side."

"This world has magic?" Lelouch asked, curious. "Aside from the Emperor's power, I've never seen it."

"It exists. You are the proof of that." Nissa crossed her arms. "Magic and aether exist in every plane. Otherwise they wouldn't be alive."

She knelt to the ground and closed her eyes. Green light flowed around her hand.

"However, I have to admit the magic on your world feels… strange. Dormant. In my home of Zendikar, magic rushes like an untamed river. Here, it flows so slowly it almost feels still."

"In other words…" Jace summed. "The magic on Earth is present but asleep. This may explain why magical powers are unheard of, especially if it fell asleep long enough ago that it faded into myth."

Nissa nodded. Just to see, the animist taped in the leyline that was running nearby. She could sense them, a blue and red leyline that ran across the country, nearly still in flow but present regardless. The leyline she was reaching out to was blue, but she could sense it met the red one not very far away…

The magic reacted instantly to her command, coming in vibrant swirls of blue. Lelouch immediately tried to seize it and giggled as it seeped in his pores, empowering him. Nissa smiled.

"The land is our ally. The magic may be sleeping, but it is because there's none who can tap into it. Reach out for it, and it shall answer to your beck and call."

There was a kinship in the magic the boy felt. It was curious, thoughtful, always eager to try and experiment, yet it was also careful and logical. One step after the other. Look for opportunities, but not at the cost of losing it all. As he played with the magic, the young Planeswalker felt as if he could understand it. It made it all the easier to bend it to his will.

"I will teach you to reach out to the leylines and stir the magic within." Nissa looked at him. "It may not exactly be your field of competence, but the magic of this world longs to be used."

"Do you… Do you think I could use magic too?" Nunnally asked timidly.

The Planeswalkers looked at one another. Gideon took the girl and let her reach out to the swirling magic. Nunnally frowned.

"I can feel it. It tickles my skin. But… I just can't seem to seize it. It slips past my fingers like I'm trying to catch water, while Big Brother looks like he's shaping it."

"There are different kinds of magic around the Multiverse." Nissa explained. "It's something I noticed during my journeys. Blue magic like the one your brother uses is often found in the hands of mentalists, illusionists, artificers and those who bend the sea and the sky to their will. On the other hand, red magic will always answer to those like Chandra, who play with fire, earth and lightning."

She reached out to the red leyline and summoned a tiny geyser. Nunnally poked it and immediately retracted her hand.

"It burns!"

"So, not red either." Gideon frowned. "Do you know where we can find leylines of other colors?"

"I noted five colors so far." The animist answered. "There is a strong red leyline crossing that country, with a blue one running almost parallel. They cross under that huge volcano."

"Mt. Fuji." Lelouch remembered.

The Gatewatch nodded. The original plan was to train the childish Planeswalker, but after Nissa's revelations about the plane's magic – and because she was his sister, they mutually agreed to train the girl as well.

–v–

 **Jace**

"Careful, Lelouch. _Careful_. I told you, your mind must be as soft as a feather. Otherwise, they're going to notice it."

The boy nodded and closed his eyes. He was in Nunnally's room, his sister quietly reading a book nearby. Jace was at his side, watching as his mind reached out to the people in the shrine. The boy had promised his sister he would never enter her mind unless she let him, and he'd so far made good on his word. Instead, his main targets were the guards and servants of the Kururugis.

"So, what are they doing?"

Lelouch grinned.

"The cook is making miso ramen with onigiri and anpan for dinner, Miss. Yamada is happy we won't have any guest tonight and Tohdoh is exasperated at Suzaku because he can't master the _katas_ of kendo. And the Prime Minister's doing paperwork."

"Very good." Jace smiled as Lelouch opened his eyes. "What did you say was for tonight, already?"

"Miso ramen, onigiri and anpan."

The mentalist's smile widened.

"Ask Genbu if I can stay for dinner."

The boy nodded eagerly and closed his eyes.

' _Sir Kururugi._ '

The Prime Minister's head shot up. For a moment, he thought he was hearing things until the childish voice echoed again.

' _Sir. Kururugi!_ '

' _Oh, it's you, Lelouch._ ' The man had a half-smile. ' _Training your power, I see?_ '

 _'Yes. Anyway, I wanted to ask: can Jace stay for dinner tonight? The food looks tasty._ '

The Prime Minister held a chuckle. The boy was a real sweetheart toward his loved ones.

' _Of course, he can. I will warn Nayao about it._ '

' _Thank you!_ '

A rush of happiness, echo of the boy's own emotions, washed over him. In the room, Lelouch gave Jace a thumb up. The mentalist's stomach growled.

"You're already hungry?"

"…A little. It's the prospect of the meal. I can't wait to eat it."

The boy laughed, then reached out to one of the maids. Carefully, his tongue sticking out of his mouth, he wrapped his mind around her, slowly infiltrating her thoughts. It was a difficult process, one he had never done before, but he had witnessed his mentor do several times.

Mind control.

Jace had given him the bases of the technique, but they had never worked it. As a result, the boy was working through theory alone and praying he didn't do any misstep.

The most delicate and important part, in order for the control to be truly successful, was to trick the victim into thinking those foreign thoughts were his own. Rather than brutally imposing his will on someone, this subtler method took longer to set, but yielded the better results as the victim never considered fighting back. Mostly because it didn't realize it was being controlled. As Jace had explained, forcing his will on others ran the risk of breaking their mind, thus rendering them vegetative.

There were dangos lying on a plate in one of the rooms. The boy was about to nudge the maid toward them by slowly making her feel hungry, then sending her a picture of the treat. The bond was suddenly cut by a mental knife. Lelouch turned to his mentor.

"What? I thought you were hungry!"

"I am." Jace crossed his arms. "But you're still too young to use mind control. I don't mind showing you how it works, but we'll wait until you're at least thirteen to train _that_."

"Why?" The boy whined.

"Oh, you _know_ why."

–v–

 **Gideon**

As they trekked through the forest, Nunnally in his arms, Gideon couldn't help but notice Lelouch seemed despondent.

"Something on your mind, kid?" The hieromancer asked. "Unlike Jace, I can't read your thoughts."

Lelouch hesitated before answering.

"It's Suzaku. He and I… we don't really get along."

"Really? How so?"

The boy looked away.

"He calls me names."

"He insults you?"

"Not really. It's not really insults." Lelouch shook his head. "It's just, because I'm always in books, or training my powers, or playing with Nunna, he called me a weakling and said I couldn't do anything with my hands. He said I rely too much on my mind tricks and that's cheating because no one else can do that…"

"I get it." Gideon sighed. It was easy at time to forget kids could be cruel. "Usually, I'd say it's because he is jealous, but in your case, I'd say it is because of different values."

"Values? What do you mean?"

The hieromancer looked at the boy.

"You and Suzaku are different persons, with different skills and different personalities. I won't say you are polar opposites since you do have some common points, but the two of you _are_ different. That's why Suzaku is being mean to you."

"That's all!?" Lelouch scoffed. "He really is a meanie, if he dislikes me just because I'm not like him."

"Many people fear what's different." Gideon sighed. "They don't understand it, so they are wary of them. The unknown is one of the primal fears of mankind. However, because you can read people's minds, you can know what they think and react accordingly. This power of yours allows you to understand others and overcome that fear. Suzaku, however, cannot."

"What should I do, then?"

"Try to befriend him. Show interest in what he does, offer to include him when you play with Nunnally, little things like that. And why don't you read his thoughts, just a little bit, to know what he's thinking?"

"I never use mind-reading with Suzaku or the Prime Minister." Lelouch retorted. "This wouldn't be nice."

Gideon smiled proudly.

"Excellent."

The trio's destination was a minor leyline of white mana Nissa had located. The elf supposed that Nunnally's gentle disposition would make her more attuned to the white and green energies, and so had drawn a map of the leylines that crossed Japan. They finally reached a large field of blooming flowers. The two children took a moment to gawk at the scenery, much to Gideon's amusement.

The leyline was easy to find, the moment Gideon stirred it, it coiled around him and Nunnally in a white and golden glow. Nnnally laughed.

"I can feel it! It is… very gentle, very kind. It feels so quiet and orderly, protective, even. It doesn't want to hurt."

"But it will if it has no choice. And when it does, it will make darn sure you can't strike back."

"I know." The girl looked down. "There's an underlying strength in it, but it feels indiscriminate. If I unleash it, it will strike anything that's different from itself."

Gideon looked down, sadness in his eyes.

"You got that straight."

Lelouch reached to the magic. There was something, a feeling of protectiveness they both possessed, but it wasn't enough to grant the boy control over the white energy. Nunnally, however, was playing effortlessly with it. The boy sat and watched his sister. It was the first time since they'd come to Japan that she seemed genuinely happy.

–v–

 **Liliana**

Lelouch sighed. His attempts at befriending Suzaku had been lukewarm at best.

"You look sour."

The boy turned to Liliana.

"I just can't seem to get along with Suzaku. Whenever I try to play with him or be nice, he shuns me and calls me harsh words."

The necromancer was silent. Finally, she grabbed his wrist and took him to the training ground. A smile crossed the boy's face.

"Are you gonna teach me magic?"

"No." Liliana shook her head. "I am going to teach you something _much more_ important."

Once they reached the circular floor, the necromancer turned to the boy.

"Let me ask you something: what are you?"

"Well… I'm a boy."

"That's stating the obvious." Liliana sighed. "What else?"

"Let's see… I'm a mentalist. I can read people's minds and play with it."

"And?"

"I'm a former prince."

"Huh? Oh, right, I keep forgetting that part. And?"

"And… I can use magic. And I'm Nunnally's big brother. And I'm a political prisoner…"

"Wrong."

The boy raised a brow. Liliana came to him.

"You got it all wrong, boy. First and foremost, _you are a Planeswalker_."

Lelouch's eyes widened. The necromancer stared at him.

"Do you know the difference between Plansewalkers and regular people?"

"They can jump between worlds?"

"Yes, but not only. Plaeswalkers are much, much stronger than any mage anywhere in any universe. Even after ceasing to be physical gods, we are still among the strongest beings in the Multiverse. This means two things. First is that we bow to absolutely _no one_. We are our own masters. Second thing: we never show fear. Even when we finally meet beings that could end us such as the Eldrazi or that bloody fool Nicol Bolas, even if their presence makes us want to piss in our pants, We. Don't. Show. Fear. Ever. Understood?"

The boy timidly nodded. Liliana grabbed his chin and raised it.

"Look at me. In the eyes. I know I intimidate you, and you know I could kill you without so much as an afterthought. But you're a Planeswalker. You may be young, but it doesn't matter. Look at me in the eyes, steel yourself, and push that nasty little feeling of dread in the furthest corner of your mind."

The boy gulped, but obeyed. Purple and black energy started swirling around the death mage.

"Here are the rules: anytime you show fear, I will lash at you. If you don't want to be too broken by the end of the day, I suggest you learn _quickly_."

A ring of purple flames surrounded the training ground, cutting any escape route. Lelouch gasped when he realized he was trapped… and a shadow struck his cheek.

"No fear, I said."

The boy balled his fists. Taking a long breath, he stared at the necromancer. The energy swirl surrounding Liliana grew stronger. Lelouch remained as still as he could, his eyes never leaving his teacher's. He would succeed. He knew the importance of the lesson – the necromancer was teaching him courage – and he knew he needed it. So he endured. The swirl grew in intensity. He gritted his teeth and forced his breathing to remain even, still staring. Forms seemed to be forming in the magic and he gasped. A shadow tentacle lashed, striking his stomach. The boy caught his breath and regained his composure.

Liliana's grin became predatory. The boy was learning fast. She decided to kick things to a new level.

The forms became shambling corpses that crawled toward the boy. Lelouch's eyes widened, if only for a moment but he held on. The corpses dissolved as they were about to touch him. Instead, shadow tentacles surged from the ground, binding his limbs and throat and dragging him down. The boy gasped. A tentacle struck his back.

"Show. No. Fear." Liliana frowned.

The boy caught himself. As he tugged on the tentacles, he noticed they weren't that tight.

"You are a Planeswalker." Liliana frowned. "You bow to no one. Why are you still down?"

Lelouch's glare could have killed. As he stared at the necromancer, he rose on his feet and stood, proud, his chin up, with a regal air that belied his modest appearance. The boy was a prince in the blood. Now more than ever, the trait stood up. And Liliana laughed. Lelouch didn't flinch. He didn't flinch when shadows moved at an inch of his body, threatening him, or when ghostly corpses seized his ankles. Eventually, the magic died down and teacher and student were left face to face. Liliana smiled dangerously.

"Congratulation. You passed."

–v–

 **Chandra**

When the pyromancer appeared in the shrine's courtyard, she was surprised to find Lelouch sulking. She sat at his side.

"Are you alright? Suzaku's been giving you grief again?"

"Yeah." The boy sighed. "We had an argument."

"Really? About what?"

"Well…" The boy frowned. "He was training with Tohdoh and I asked if I could join them. He told me to return to my books and I didn't need to know swordsmanship because of my mind powers. I told him I was just curious and I wanted to try as well, just for fun. He started yelling at me, how kendo wasn't a fun sport but a martial art, and I was too weak physically to do it. He told me to go back to my sister, so I tried to punch him. Next thing I knew, I was on the ground."

The boy rose and turned to Chandra. He was on the verge of crying.

"Chandra, I want to tear him apart! I want to wreck things up so badly! I'm so… so angry, but I swore to never use my mind powers on him and the Prime Minister, and I don't know how to use my powers to wreck things! Please, help me!"

The pyromancer frowned for a moment before smiling.

"Gladly. Come with me."

They went to the training ground. There, Chandra took one of the chairs.

"I doubt they'll be missing this one. Now, listen to me."

Lelouch looked at her intensely. Chandra grinned.

"I doubt you'll be able to control fire like I do, but using magic to destroy works pretty much the same regardless of the energy used. First, I want you to channel magic, and I don't mean your mind powers. I mean the energy around you. You can feel it, right?"

"Yes."

He could feel it, and he could _very much_ use it. It was begging him to. So he obliged. To his surprise, dark swirls rose around him. The boy's eyes widened. Black energy. As he seized the swirls, he could feel the selfishness of the magic, as well as a distinct scent of rot, decay and death, complete with a hint of blood. That magic _wasn't_ nice.

Perfect.

"Good." Chandra said. "Now, I want you to channel that magic and blast the chair."

"Just like that?"

"Just like that. Oh, and I suggest you _want_ to destroy that chair. Put a part of your will in it. Your mind shapes the magic. Give it a form to wreck that pile of wood."

Shape the magic. Yeah, he could do that. He focused on the magic, leaving it swirl in his hand until it was covered with purple and black. Then he pointed it at the chair and _pushed_ , imbuing the magic with all his rage and anger. The blast reduced the chair to a pile of rotten wood.

This unlocked something in the boy. Black magic surged from the ground as Lelouch's eyes glowed a deadly purple shade, lashing at anything around. The boy screamed, louder and higher than he ever had, and Chandra quickly took her distances. She, more than anyone, could recognize a temper tantrum when she saw one. She waited by the entrance of the training ground, waiting for the boy to be done. Tohdoh and a quivering Suzaku joined her.

"We heard screaming. Is Lelouch alright?"

"…Obviously not."

The pair looked at the training ground. The black energy slowly faded, revealing a tousled boy who was trying to catch his breath. Chandra came to his side.

"Feeling better, now?"

"Yeah. I feel better. I feel… lighter."

The pyromancer gave him a victorious grin.

"You must've been bottling that anger for awhile. Listen…" She knelt to his level. "I can understand you're trying to maintain a facade and act all polite and nice, but everyone needs to vent once in awhile. I vent by burning things down. You vent by wrecking things with shadows. Liliana will be happy about it, by the way. So, whenever you feel really angry, or you think you can't take it anymore, just find somewhere lonely and quiet and let it go. Don't hold anything. Rage, wreck, scream until you can't scream anymore. Keeping things inside of you will do you nothing good."

"I know." The boy looked down. "I just didn't know how to do it."

"Well, now you do."

Tohdoh looked at the training ground – or, at least, what the magical temper tantrum had left of it. The pillars meant to support the canopy had shattered and rotten, the once pristine stone flood was broken in thousands of blackened fragments and the grass that had been caught in the swirl was in an advanced state of decay.

From this day on, Suzaku's policy regarding the Britannian boy was to steer as clear as possible.

–v–

 **Nissa**

Lelouch had absolutely no idea where they were going. Nissa had come to find him and Nunnally early that morning, telling them to get ready for a trip. The two had gotten dressed appropriately and Nissa had taken Nunnally on her shoulders. She had then informed the people of the shrine they may return late in the afternoon. Now, they were walking in the dense forest that bordered the shrine. It was a preserve, so all life here was protected. Millennia-old trees reached to the sky, their roots intertwining in intricate patterns that made trekking an experience in itself. Their dense canopy only let a dim emerald light, just enough to see ahead. The air was thick and bustling with the sound of wildlife.

They finally reached a clearing of a few hundred yards. The roots made a kind of vale and a pond was in the middle. The place was eerily quiet, with a lone cherry tree rising in a tiny island in the middle of the lake. The water was crystal clear, so pure you could dip a hand and feel like you were playing with liquid air. Lelouch absorbed the panorama, his big purple eyes glimmering with awe under the falling light. Nissa smiled.

"No matter how dark the world and its people seem, there are always places like these, hidden from common sight. Places of beauty and peace." She put Nunnally down and watched the girl play with the water. "You like this place, do you?"

"Yes." Lelouch uttered. "It's pretty and peaceful. It makes me want to lie down and take a nap."

"Every world has places like these, places that will leave you full of wonders and awe. This one is merely the closest to the shrine, and not even the prettiest, but its magic still affects you." Blue and green swirls of magic danced around the animist's hand. "People stumble upon those places and call them magical, not knowing that they in fact _are_. Places like these have their own kind of magic. You can tap in it to fuel your powers…" The air seemed to waver. "Or you can ask the land to do it for you."

"And… what will happen?"

"It depends of the place. Tell me, do you know why I am called the Worldwaker?"

Lelouch shook his head. Nissa smiled.

"Because I have a knack for finding such places, and I have a knack for 'awakening' the power they contain, not simply use their magic."

Lelouch looked at the clearing. He could indeed sense the two crossing leyline that were filling the place with magic. He reached out to the crux and nudged it, almost begging it to activate. The magic eagerly answered. A breeze crossed the clearing, taking along the cherry petals. They danced above the lake, the gentle wind making tiny ripples across the water's surface. The petals surrounded the boy and, suddenly, he _saw_.

 _A pink detonation swallowing the sky._

 _A strange red humanoid machine blasting its opponents with a red beam._

 _People made of metal, hurrying through a strange portal._

 _The Emperor of Britannia, laughing like a madman._

 _Japanese gunned down by purple humanoid machines._

 _A temple, or maybe a shrine, going down in blaze._

 _A teenage Suzaku fighting toes to toes against his elder sister, Cornelia._

The petals scattered and the visions faded. Lelouch fell on his knees, panting. Nissa smiled.

–v–

Months passed. More than half a year went on, during which the members of the Gatewatch spent time on Earth to train their student. Lelouch was young and, already, his powers proved impressive, though not nearly on par with his masters'. Suzaku eventually got around his conflicted feelings toward the prince. A timid friendship blossomed with the spring, much to Nunnally's delight. Genbu couldn't help but smile whenever one of the boy's caretakers came to the shrine and Lelouch systematically greeted them with a hug. They weren't here all the time, but there was more warmth in their interactions than there had ever been between Lelouch and his true father.

Life seemed good.

But good things never last.

* * *

 **And here is next chapter. Lelouch and Nunnally are taken in by Genbu and the Gatewatch begins training their new student(s). All seems good... for now.**

 **For the reviews...**

 **\- .reads: the Gatewatch are only OP regarding the Code Geass universe. Compared to the rest of the Multiverse, alone, well... there's a reason they decided to team-up. And, if you've read my past fanfics, especially the Pokémon series, I only use OP characters as mentors of the hero so he can become that badass later in the story (Ash going from regular Trainer to siccing half of the Legendaries against Molly and her dream Pokémons; Lelouch going from fallen prince to full-grown Planeswalker who dishes mind-rape and crushing victories).**

 **\- Ddragon21: indeed, the revelation that magic exists will be a surprise to C.C. Not only that, but spoiler for not the next chapter but the one after.**

 **See you soon!**


	4. In your time of need

In your time of need…

(We'll be there for you)

 _August 10_ _th_ _, in the year 2010 of the Imperial Calendar. The Holy Britannian Empire declared war upon Japan. The island nation in the Far East, which argued for its neutrality, and Britannia, the world's greatest superpower. There was a dispute between the two sides over Japan's underground resources, and the diplomatic tensions between them were deep-rooted._

–v–

 _The Prime Minister looked to the camera._

" _People of Japan. People of Britannia. About eight months ago, Emperor Charles zi Britannia sent two of his children, Eleventh Prince Lelouch vi. Britannia and Twelfth Princess Nunnally vi Britannia, as political hostages. And yet, today, the Holy Empire declared war upon our country. Our first act shall be to put an end to their lives, as payment for their father's transgression." He looked at Lelouch and Nunnally. "Any last words?"_

 _Lelouch looked at the man with fear in his eyes._

" _Please… Don't kill us!"_

 _The Prime Minister gave the boy a harsh look, then raised his gun and fired twice. The two children's bodies fell heavily._

Euphemia watched the video with tears in her eyes.

"Lelouch… Nunnally… No…"

Her elder brother, Odysseus, held her in his arms. At his side, Clovis was clenching the sofa with enough strength that his joins were white.

"How dare they…"

There were tears in the prince's eyes. Schneizel was watching the video, silent, but Guinevere could tell by the crease in his forehead that he was clearly unhappy. Cornelia was barely holding herself.

"They killed them! Those filthy Japanese monkeys killed Lelouch and Nunnally! I will make them pay!"

"Save me some." Clovis growled. "I still owe Little Brother that rematch."

The Imperial siblings nodded to each other. The Prime Minister had made a fatal mistake by broadcasting Lelouch and Nunnally's execution. If the Britannian Empire wasn't on the warpath before, now it definitely was.

Maybe this was the reason it only took a month for Japan to fall. Everyone attributed Britannia's success on the deadly Knightmare Frames that overcame Japan's defenses so swiftly. The truth was that three of the commanders during the war had a personal grudge against the country.

It wasn't a war of conquest. Not anymore. It was a war of revenge.

–v–

In the Kururugi shrine, Genbu, Suzaku and Tohdoh were eating diner with Lelouch, Nunnally and the Gatewatch.

"Tasty!" Chandra hummed as she dipped her sashimi in some wasabi and chewed.

Genbu grinned.

"I'd figure the lady who plays with fire would appreciate spicy food."

Lelouch laughed.

"Chandra's fiery in every sense of the word!"

The whole table laughed along. Chandra's hair ignited.

"And I'm proud of it."

The TV suddenly switched on. Everyone looked at one another.

"Did anyone…"

The news started playing, and the room went dead silent.

" _Today, August 10_ _th_ _, in answer to the Britannian Empire's declaration of war, Prime Minister Genbu Kururugi personally executed Lelouch and Nunnally vi Britannia, the eleventh prince and twelfth princess, who had been put in the Japanese's custody eight months earlier._ "

A video followed, showing the man personally shooting the two children.

Liliana was usually adept at keeping her cool, but when the video played, she couldn't help but spit her sake.

"What the heck!?" Lelouch uttered.

Everyone else was just as baffled. Nissa looked at the Prime Minister, then at the children and at her companions.

"I didn't know the Empire had a sense of humor."

"This isn't humor…" Jace uttered, dread slowly filling him. "I've worked with the Azorius for long enough that I can recognize a frame-up when I see one, and that video _reeks_ of it."

"But why?" Gideon wondered. "Things are peaceful. Why would Britannia start a war now?"

"Well…" Genbu winced. "They always had their eyes on our underground resources. Japan is one of the countries with the richest reserves of sakuradite, and the Britannian Empire made clear they intend to get their hands on it sooner or later. It seems they have decided to make their move."

Jace looked at everyone.

"…I'll be back."

"Where are you going?" Nunnally asked.

"To the villas where your sibling reside. I have a bad feeling about it." The mentalist crossed his arms. "Why did anyone bother to make that video? War is war. Once two countries set to fight…"

"This is propaganda." Gideon frowned. "This video wasn't meant for a Japanese audience. It was meant for a Britannian one. You are the politician and mind reader, Jace, but I don't need mind-reading powers to figure the people of the Britannian Empire will be furious at seeing the children of their Emperor executed. Even if it's fake. They'll seek retribution…"

"And come after Japan at full force." Liliana realized. "I have no idea who made that video, but he or she is a clever bastard."

The Prime Minister sighed.

"And here I thought I could spend at least one last evening with my son and my friends before preparing for war…"

Jace cloaked himself with an invisibility spell and teleported. The group finished their dinner in quiet silence. Suzaku, Lelouch and Nunnally had huddled around Gideon, who was stroking their hair. Jace returned three hours later. Chandra looked at him.

"So, how bad is it?"

The mentalist dropped the invisibility spell and everyone cringed. He looked frightened.

"They are furious. All of them. Odysseus, Guinevere, Schneizel, Cornelia, Clovis… Even Euphemia was in tears. Britannia's gearing for war, and at its head are the Emperor's eldest children. They're out for your blood."

Genbu tried his best to remain stoic.

"This is bad."

"Indeed. I expect it to be swift and brutal, a _blitzkrieg_ as you call it. Because they believe you killed their siblings, they made you a priority target, and I don't think they'll stop before they get your head."

Suzaku shivered. Gideon caressed his back.

"Don't worry, we won't let your father die."

Liliana crossed her arms.

"The question is: how?"

"First thing first…" Gideon cut. "How powerful exactly the force they plan on setting against Japan is?"

Jace answered. Every adult's face lost color.

"Japan is lost." Tohdoh somberly said. "It isn't a question of if. It is a question of when."

"And if you fight by our side?" Genbu asked the Planeswalkers.

"Sorry." Jace shook his head. "The Gatewatch tries to interfere only if one of our kind is involved. Besides, even the five of us couldn't stand against the army Britannia is gathering."

Chandra was thoughtful. A flame appeared in her hand.

"…They want you dead, right?"

"Obviously."

The pyromancer's eyes fell on Lelouch and Nunnally.

"We've been meaning to take Lulu and his sister from the Empire's watch for a long time. Problem was, because they were political hostages, the Imperials would find it suspicious if they suddenly went missing and would put the blame on you. Then, they'd have declared war on you. But now, they started the war already and, even better, they broadcasted a video showing you killing the kids. As far as people are concerned, Lelouch and Nunnally are dead."

"And your point is?" Liliana asked.

"My point is, why don't you do the same? The Britannians faked the death of two of their princes. Why wouldn't Japan fake the death of their Prime Minister? People believe you died, they stop looking for you, you're free to escape anywhere you like and plan your revenge. And, sweet oh sweet, we're free to take Lelouch and Nunnally with us and train them without having to worry about their 'family' keeping an eye on them."

Everyone looked at one another.

"This could work." Jace nodded. "This could very well work."

Gideon smiled.

"The war may be lost before it started, but if you manage to spare enough resources, you could easily set a Resistance movement to harass the Britannians and prevent them from fully enjoying their victory."

Genbu thought. Tohdoh nodded pensively.

"This sounds like a good idea. Prime Minister?"

The man finally nodded.

"I agree. Let's do it."

While the children went to sleep, Tohdoh, Genbu and the Gatewatch devised the plans meant to protect Japan and its ruler.

–v–

"Are you sure I can't come with you?" Suzaku asked.

"I'm sorry." Genbu sighed. "From now on, my life will be one of hiding and scheming. It is a life for an adult, not for a child. I'm sending you to the Sumeragi. Kaguya is your cousin. Her family will take care of you."

The boy nodded softly. His father knelt to his level.

"Don't worry, I'll do everything I can to stay alive. I will even write you letters. So don't cry, alright?"

"Alright."

The man smiled and caressed his son's cheek. Taizo Kirihara turned to the Gatewatch.

"What about Lelouch and Nunnally?"

"We contacted the Ashfords." Jace smiled. "They used to support their mother, Empress Marianne. They agreed to take them in."

"We even got new names." Lelouch grinned. "From now on, I'm Lelouch Lamperouge."

Kirihara chuckled.

"Funny. Given how close you are of your teachers, I thought you would take one of their names."

The Gatewatch scoffed and the boy even blushed a little.

"…I hadn't thought of that. Besides, they're not really my family."

Chandra growled.

"Given what your true family's like, you might as well have none!"

"True that."

The pyromancer walked to the shrine.

"So, everyone took what he wanted? Nothing valuable left? Last call before I go."

"You can burn it down." Genbu nodded. "A ruined shrine can be rebuilt. A life lost can never be recovered."

Chandra nodded and drew a fiery seal on the door. Everyone took his distances. Then Chandra snapped her fingers and the place became a pyre.

Tohdoh nodded.

"And so, a few days after the prince and the princess's execution, in front of the overwhelming forces of the Britannian Empire, the Prime Minister ended his life by setting his family's shrine ablaze, immolating himself in the process. His young son was away at the time, and was thus spared. At the same time, deprived of their leader, the Japanese defenses failed and Britannia easily conquered the country."

Jace crossed his arms, a satisfied smile on his face.

"Good. Time to set the second part of the plan in motion."

Usually, the Gatewatch only meddled with the affairs of a world when Planeswalkers were involved. It was the case: their new student, Lelouch, was part of Britannia's Imperial Family who, for unknown reasons, had fake-staged his and his sister's death just to give themselves a reason to invade the country they were in. The country couldn't be saved, but Jace, Gideon, Liliana, Chandra and Nissa could at least limit the collateral damage. It just so happened that doing so saved Japan's Prime Minister and helped set the base for several well-funded resistance movements…

With their new Knightmare Frames, the Britannian armies easily crushed Japan's ground defenses. Everyone believed the victory was simply due to Britannia's forces being superior and the rage that moved its commanders. This couldn't have been further from the truth. The reality was that Japan's defenses had merely been buying time to set its _true_ "defenses", armed groups scattered across the country and secretly funded by the local governments, whose goals were to methodically sabotage any attempt from the Britannians to impose their authority.

Advised by the Gatewatch, Genbu made things clear: the civil infrastructure, Britannian and Japanese alike, was to be spared, and any group that disobeyed the rule stopped being considered a Resistance movement. Military infrastructure was, however, fair game. The main goal was, and it was Chandra's advice, to piss off the Britannian forces so much they decided to drop the ball and leave. Many people liked the idea.

"Take my country and choke on it." The former Prime Minister growled. "Such is the price for your thrice-cursed frame-up."

Meanwhile, under a new name and accompanied by the Gatewatch, Lelouch could finally train his powers in their fullest…

 _Oh, the power to be strong  
And the wisdom to be wise,  
All these things will come to you in time._

 _On this journey that you're making  
There'll be answers that you seek,  
For it's you who'll climb the mountain,  
It's you who'll reach the peak._

 **Ravnica**

"Greetings, Guildpact." Lavinia nodded. "Is the boy a guest?"

"Hello, Lavinia." Jace answered. "And Lelouch is actually my student, a Planeswalker and mentalist like me. We will be staying there for a month."

Lavinia's eyes visibly lit up.

"Excellent. I'll send word to the other guilds that they treat him with the same deference they do you."

"Easy!" Jace stopped. "Lelouch is only a child. Best not give him too much power yet. He doesn't need it. Just make sure people are nice to him."

"I will." A small smile crossed the lawmage's face. "Do you plan on making him your successor?"

Jace froze.

"No. Definitely not. I'm just going to train him. And maybe take care of him like his real father should have."

There was a hint of venom in his voice that didn't escape Lavinia.

"He was abused?"

"Worse. His father used him as a political tool and fake-staged his death to engineer a war."

Lavinia's brow creased in a frown.

"You have my full support."

The boy was given Nissa's unused room. Whenever she spent time on Ravnica, the elf slept in the rooftop garden. He was meant to spend the duration of the war in the city-plane, and so Jace had forged a mindlink between him and Nunnally, potent enough that they could mentally communicate without constantly listening to each other's thoughts and sturdy enough that it endured the distance of the Blind Eternities. It was, on several aspects, one of the mentalist's finer works.

Not a week after Lelouch had settled, he and Jace were surprised to see Teysa Karlov and Tajic of the Boros knocking at their door. Now, to see an Orzhov and a Boros together was unusual, until Teysa explained why she was here. A quick scan of her and Tajic's mind to fully understand what the affair was about and, barely more than an hour later, Jace, Lelouch and the masters of every guild save the Orzhov were marching toward the Obzedat's Chamber.

"Watch and learn." Jace told the boy as he led the guilds of Ravnica against the corrupted church.

Backed by the support of the nine guilds, the Living Guildpact seized the magic that soaked the place and negated the validity of the guilds' laws while allowing only the rule of the Obzedat.

Then he tore it apart.

Jace had once dispelled the memory spell Emperor Charles had placed on Lelouch and Nunnally. What he did that day was on a different level altogether. The magic was old and powerful. It directly clashed with the magic of the Guildpact. But the Guildpact wasn't alone. It had found a voice, a host of a sort. Now, that host's magic was backed by nine others, all equal in strength. Rakdos and Selesnia, Gruul and Dimir, Boros and Simic, Izzet and Golgari, and the Azorius at the side of the man who arbitrated the guilds. The Orzhov had crossed a line. The guilds of Ravnica were retaliating.

Each guildmaster was glowing with two different colors. Isperia the sphinx was cloaked in white and blue, Jarad the lich was shrouded in green and black, Miv-Mizzet the dragon was covered in red and blue… Nine strands came from the halos of light and connected them to the Guildpact. Jace, meanwhile, was floating in the air, his robes wavering under an unseen wind while his eyes and markings shone with an intensity never seen before. He was cloaked in a golden halo that spread across the room, clashing with the black and white magic it harbored and ripping it to shreds.

The Obzedat's answer was swift and merciless. Yes, the Ghost Council was made of spirits. But even spirits had power, and said power crashed like a wave against the Guildpact's magic. Jace bared his teeth. His magic fought back, overcame the ghosts'. The Obzedat changed target and went for his mind instead. Jace reeled back. His magic was already at work, tearing the law-negating spell apart. He barely had enough power to defend himself. Lelouch sensed it.

Projecting his mind in his mentor's, he found the ghosts' assault. But he didn't know to use mentalism to injure. It wasn't an offensive force, it was subversive, manipulative … His shadows, on the other hand, could be used to attack. More than that, he and Liliana had noticed they had a limited decaying effect. Not enough to kill a full-grown man, but enough to leave a nasty cripple. A plan formed in his head. He wasn't exactly sure he could do it, but it was worth a try.

The boy focused both his mental powers and his shadow magic. Slowly, he pictured his mind imbued with the dark decaying effect his shadows had. Then he sent it against the Obzedat.

By all account, it should have failed. A young untrained mind mage harnessing an improvised spell made of barely-holding-together magic against a group of centuries-old ghosts, there should have been no contest.

Except the boy was a Planeswalker, and both mind and shadow manipulation were natural to him. Training was only meant to teach him to refine his control over both magics. His body knew instinctively how to harness them. That's what it did.

As a result, the spell lacked in finesse but possessed enough strength to hit the Obzedat like a ram. The ghosts reeled back, screaming. Lazav, the Dimir Guildmaster, turned to the boy, who stood a fair distance away.

"Mind Rot? Clever counter, child."

Lelouch shrugged.

"They were attacking my teacher's mind. I improvised."

"Indeed, I have seen more refined variants of the spell. Yours seems stitched together…"

"I know! Shut up, they're coming back!"

Lazav turned. Indeed, the Obzedat was launching a new assault on the Guildpact… Isperia was the first to react. Her magic generated a shield of light against which the ghosts crashed. Trostani's mind reached to Jace's and began mending it while Rakdos, Lazav and Jarad combined their minds to mentally push back the Obzedat. Lelouch joined them timidly, adding his meager power to theirs to defend his mentor. The three guildmasters sensed it.

' _Don't be afraid, boy._ ' Jarad reassured. ' _We are all struggling together._ '

' _You're not good people._ ' Lelouch retorted. ' _You try to hurt me or corrupt me and Jace won't be happy._ '

' _On the Guildpact, we won't._ '

Satisfied by their answer, the boy fully joined his mind to theirs. The effect was devastating. The Obzedat jumped back as if they had been burned. And, indeed, their ghostly forms showed distinct traces of wounds. When used on a flesh target, the results of Mind Rot were messy. On spirits, it was cleaner, but the effect was even more potent. In the meantime, the guild's magic channeled by the Living Guildpact was tearing apart the law-negating magic of the room. Teysa grinned dangerously.

"You fat bastards have ruled long enough."

And the Obzedat fell.

It took a complete week of effort and a lot of paperwork to regulate the mess left by the fall of the ghost council. But, by the end of the day, the Orzhov Syndicate had lost a huge amount of its riches and the Obzedat had died for good. Now, Teysa Karlov sat at the head of the guild that served as Ravnica's bank. When Gideon happily came to announce the end of the war on Earth, he was surprised to see Lelouch in the courtyard, training his shadow manipulation with Jarad.

"Did I miss something?"

"Just some summertime cleaning." Jace answered with an amused smile.

Gideon gave him a weird look.

"Alright. What happened?"

Lelouch turned to him and, with a huge smile on his face, replayed in his mind the events that had led to the fall of the Obzedat. The hieromancer sighed.

"Damn, I wish I could've been there."

 _Son of man, look to the sky,  
Lift your spirit, set it free!  
Someday, you'll grow tall with pride.  
Son of man, a man in time you'll be!_

 **Zendikar**

"Are we here yet?"

"No."

 _An hour later…_

"Are we here yet?"

"No."

"When then?"

"About four hours if we keep that rhythm."

" _Four hours!?_ " Lelouch whined. "Awwwwwww…"

Nissa smiled. The boy had lived a sheltered life. This was exactly why she'd taken him to Zendikar, the world of explorers and adventurers.

Naturally, their first stop had been Sunder Bay. No way was the young Planeswalker going on an adventure with the clothes he usually wore on Earth. Zendikar was a harsh world, even after the fall of the Eldrazi. He needed a proper outfit. Said outfit was made of resilient leather boots, pants and shirt made of tough tissue and a brown cloak, as well as fingerless gloves.

Now, after days and days of walking, the pair's destination was finally in sight: the Living Spire, a gigantic mountain with hedron-shaped caverns and covered with giant vines. In one of these caverns was a place called the Grindstone Crucible. Nissa had wanted to see it and had taken Lelouch along for the experience.

At last, after hours of walking, the elf and the boy reached the Crucible. It was a moving, grinding, deafening mass of rune-covered boulders and rocks covered by a latticework of vines. A breeze passed by the pair…

Nissa reacted first, reaching to the land and animating it. The elemental surged and covered her. Lelouch snuggled against her. The hurricane-force winds tried to swallow them and take them into the Crucible, but the elemental was stronger. It resisted the assault, shielding its masters from the winds, and relaxed when they finally fell.

"Wow!" Lelouch breathed.

Nissa smiled.

"Hurry. We don't know when the next breath is."

So they stood on the latticework, the elemental at their side. The boy held a hand. He could feel the wild mana dancing on his skin, and its power made him want to laugh and dance and cheer. Nissa stretched. The wild mana felt good. Shame the place was so dangerous, though. They planeswalked the moment they felt a draft.

The first thing Lelouch did when he returned to Earth was to tell Nunnally about the story. That night, the girl's dreams were animated by gale-force winds, gigantic mountains and the caress of wild mana.

 _Though there's no one here to guide you,  
No one to take your hand  
But with faith and understanding,  
You will journey from boy to man._

 **Theros**

Gideon wasn't very happy to return in his home plane. Bad memories, he explained.

But he didn't really have a choice. A Planeswalker by the name of Dack Fayden had come to find the Gatewatch, requesting their help to stop another Planeswalker called Ashiok, whose nightmares threatened the inhabitants of the world and even the local pantheon.

The Gatewatch had decided to take along the now eleven-year-old Lelouch. The boy's powers were growing. He could now effortlessly read minds and had begun weaving illusions over himself and others, and his manipulation of shadows was getting better every passing days.

They were joined in their quest by Ajani Goldmane, a leonine Planeswalker that harbored a grudge against the gods in general, and Heliod in particular. After two weeks of stubborn hunting, Ajani, Jace and Lelouch finally managed to find the nightmare weaver. The ensuring fight was brutal enough that it got the attention of every single god of the plane. But, in the end, the Gatewatch prevailed.

"I'll never thank you enough." Dack breathed. "Without your help, the whole plane would have been trapped in an endless nightmare-filled sleep, and that's something I wouldn't wish to my worst enemy."

"Many of us have nasty memories they don't need to revive in their sleep." Gideon smiled. "Besides, that's our job."

Then they noticed every god was watching them. Gideon gulped as he saw Erebos, his whip in hand.

"Shall we leave?"

The Gatewatch looked at one another. For something to scare _Gideon_ , it had to be serious.

"Let's." Jace nodded.

However, before they could planeswalk, Kruphix's whispering voice stopped them.

" _Wait_."

Everyone turned to the God of Horizons. The god tore a part of the Nyx that made his shroud and handed it to Lelouch. The boy held the cloth reverentially.

" _You will need it._ " Kruphix whispered. " _Against your father._ "

Lelouch nodded and put the cloth on his back. It was wide enough to make a decent cloak, and rather comfortable. The Planeswalkers couldn't believe their eyes.

"A boon from Kruphix…" Ajani uttered. "You must really be special, for the God of Horizons to take an interest in you."

"We'll tell you the whole story later."

Dack and Ajani became informal allies of the Gatewatch, very much like Tamiyo, but Dack admitted he may be joining them at a later date.

 _Son of man, look to the sky,  
Lift your spirit, set it free!  
Someday, you'll grow tall with pride.  
Son of man, a man in time you'll be!_

 **Innistrad**

Lelouch checked his belt. There was a kor hook he'd obtained during a trip to Zendikar, a Dimir skeleton key, a Bant sigil, a Darksteel bastard sword and a strange mask he'd found in a shrine in Kamigawa. The Nyxshroud given by Kruphix was safely on his back. It had become his coat, and he took it whenever he left to other planes. Now, Liliana had taken him to her plane of predilection to teach him not simply shadows but real darkness manipulation. At thirteen, Jace had finally started teaching him memory manipulation and mind control. Liliana, on the other hand, was teaching him to use his powers to cause actual pain.

And he was pretty good at it. Fortunately, he reserved that particular use of his powers to defend himself and his sister, and occasionally the Gatewatch whenever things got serious. A scream caught his attention. A few miles away, an angel in white robes was being beaten by a red-skinned demon. Lelouch didn't hesitate. Tapping into the darkness of the land, he unleashed a brutal storm over the fiend. The angel used the distraction to escape.

Snarling, the demon turned to the teenager. Lelouch walked confidently, the Nyxshroud floating in his back. The demon lurched. The young Planeswalker held a hand and a gaping void appeared over the demon's body, bisecting it.

Doom Blade. One of his nastier spells. There was a karmic justice in killing demons with the very mana that made them. The demon disappeared, so Lelouch went to the angel. The creature looked frightened.

"Are you going to kill me?" She asked with fear in her voice.

"Why? I just saved your life."

His healing powers weren't nearly on par with Nunnally's, but he could still heal minor injuries. The angel's wounds looked worse than they were. It took him time to heal her but, eventually, not a trace of blood subsided. The angel looked at him.

"A shadow mage that also knows the healing arts? How odd."

"I dabble in everything." Lelouch shrugged. "However, my powers are mostly centered on mentalism and shadow manipulation. I mostly use them to defend myself."

"I see."

The angel smiled and gave him something. It was a heron-shaped silver pendant holding on a silver chain.

"Here. This is a Heron Charm. It will shield you from curses and misfortune." The angel took flight. "Good luck on your journey, healer of the shadows."

On this, she disappeared. Lelouch smiled and tied the chain to his belt. It looked nice.

 _In learning, you will teach  
And in teaching you will learn.  
You'll find your place besides the ones you love._

 _Oh, and all the things you dreamed of,  
All the visions that you saw,  
Well the time is drawing near now.  
It's time to claim it all!_

 **Tarkir**

Because you're intelligent doesn't mean you have what it takes to smart-talk a dragon. Especially when said dragon is called Dromoka. This was a lesson Lelouch learned the hard way. Criticizing the dragon-lord for her narrow-minded morality and calling her out for annihilating the Abzan culture was not the cleverest thing to do, and he had been very lucky she hadn't simply eaten him alive.

"Morale of the story…" The fifteen-year-old teenager sighed. "Even if you're right, if the enemy is more powerful than you and it's obvious he won't side with your opinion, don't push your luck. I won't be nearly so lucky next time."

"Are you alright, Brother? I heard you and Mother yell."

Lelouch smiled. For all his disagreements with Dromoka, he still remained on friendly terms with the rest of her clan. Dastan, a young scalelord of two hundred years, was one of the few members he had befriended.

"It's alright, Dastan. I just had an argument with Dromoka… again. It's not the first time it happens."

The scalelord shrugged.

"I know you two don't see eye to eye, but you proved your loyalty again and again. If anything, Mother tolerates you, if only because you're always on the frontline fighting with us, and your clever strategies saved us more times than I can count. By Ugin, I saw you outsmart Ojutai clansmates at least twice!"

Lelouch chuckled.

"Disciples of Ojutai always make for good opponents. They are much more challenging than Kolagan's hordes."

Dastan laughed, then lowered his gaze.

"I wish you could stay longer. But you said you could only spend a few weeks with us. I'm going to miss you, brother."

"I'll miss you too, Dastan. Tell Dromoka I'm sorry?"

"Sure."

Tarkir ranked among his favorite worlds, alongside Ravnica and Zendikar. Ravnica was where he had his secondary home, Zendikar was full of adventures and Tarkir was a challenging world that had allowed him to hone his skills as a fighter and strategist. It helped that his bastard sword, thanks to being made of Darksteel, could cut through the hardiest scales.

"Holidays are ending soon. I won't be able to return for awhile… Well, if anything, Kiora taught me to summon people across the Multiverse. I'll never forget Nunna's face the first time I showed her Ravnica. And it was only the beginning."

Closing his eyes, the teen returned to Earth.

 _Son of man, look to the sky,  
Lift your spirit, set it free!  
Someday, you'll grow tall with pride.  
Son of man, a man in time you'll be!_

* * *

 **And here is next chapter! So, unlike canon, Suzaku doesn't kill his father, who goes into hiding and uses the help of the Gatewatch to set the many Resistance movements across Japan. Meanwhile, Lelouch slowly masters his powers as a Planeswalker. As for why he has a Darksteel sword when Mirrodin was conquered by Phyrexia, see next chapter ;-)**

 **For the reviews...**

 **\- Wei: sorry, it didn't happen like that. But Lelouch _has_ started teaching his friends magic *cough*the Student Council*cough***

 **See you soon!**


	5. Interlude: Mirrodin's Rebirth

Interlude: Mirrodin's Rebirth

 _One month before Theros…_

Lelouch was only eleven when it all started. The Gatewatch received the visit of a Mirran Planeswalker, Koth of the Hammer. The man looked intimidating, what with his dark skin, size that rivaled Gideon's, and partially metallic body. The boy stared in awe while he and Jace talked about his problem.

"My world is lost, not two ways about it. The Phyrexians have conquered it completely, and only a handful of us are left."

"Then, why have you come?"

It was then that the silver golem entered. The creature was huge, its metal body gleaming under the light. Jace fell silent.

"We need the help of the Gatewatch to build the gate that will allow the surviving Mirrans to flee their world. We also need to find a land where they could settle."

Jace quietly bowed.

"Karn. I had heard about you, but I didn't think I would have the honor of meeting you in person."

"I heard a lot about you too, Jace the Mind Sculptor, Living Guildpact of Ravnica." The golem politely answered.

The Gatewatch quickly gathered in their office. Lelouch was sitting on Gideon's knees. His presence seemed to surprise Koth.

"I didn't know there was a child among you."

"Lelouch is our student." Gideon explained. "His Spark ignited two years ago and he landed in this world. We've been training him ever since."

Karn smiled sadly.

"He became a Planeswalker at nine. I don't want to imagine what kind of torment led him to becoming one of us."

"Let's say his family really sucks." Chandra summed. "So, what's your plan?"

Karn took several rolls.

"Here are the schematics of the planar gate located in the Caves of Koilos. I modified them a little so its power source is different and the size is smaller, but even then, it will take time to build it."

Jace frowned.

"Indeed it will. But, at least, it sounds doable." He looked at Karn. "Are you sure you want to use the power of the five suns to fuel it?"

"This is the strongest source of energy we possess, and the only one that managed to stay out of the Phyrexians' reach."

Chandra looked at the schematics.

"Wait, you've built a bomb as well!?"

"We don't plan on simply abandoning Mirrodin." Koth explained. "We plan on destroying it. Completely. With the five suns left, the plane will be deprived of most if its source of energy. Then, once every Mirran has left and the portal will close, the bomb will detonate straight in Mirrodin's core, tearing it apart and taking the Phyrexians along."

Chandra's eyes lit up.

"I like that plan."

Jace looked at the schematics.

"We'll need Planeswalkers with a focus on artifice. Saheeli, Dovin, Ral, maybe even Daretti. Their knowledge in artifact-crafting will be a boon."

"Agreed."

"Good." Koth crossed his arms. "Now, we need to find a new homeland…"

–v–

Nissa straight up refused Zendikar. After the damage caused by the Eldrazi, the land wasn't ready to welcome new inhabitants. Most worlds the Gatewatch visited encountered the same issue. Anywhere they looked, there wasn't a place for the Mirran refugees.

To everyone's surprise, it was Lelouch who found it. The boy had been playing with the leylines of Earth, tapping in their magic and wondering at the strength it gave to his spells. He was playing with a blue leyline when his mind powers suddenly went into overdrive. His sight extended, as if he was seeing through a spyglass, and he found himself looking at a volcanic island, somewhere in the southern part of the Pacific Ocean.

The volcano was huge and active, its peak perpetually cloaked in ashes and smoke, and the land was barren of all life. A shield volcano, judging by its shape. There were several smaller islands around it, formed by flank vents, which formed a tiny archipelago. However, what most caught the boy's attention was that the volcano was located on a nexus, a place where leylines of all five colors of mana gathered.

Mirrodin was a world of metal. What better place for them, the boy thought, than a volcanic island in the middle of nowhere and located right over a nexus? Karn, Koth and the Gatewatch went to explore the place and were pleasantly surprised.

"I can feel the land." Nissa smiled. "Magic courses strongly through it, and it feels more active than in other places I visited."

"The volcano almost makes me feel home." Koth crossed his arms. "It will be easy to set our forges and craft the metal. It will take some time to build the island in Mirrodin's image, but it should be doable under a few years. By tapping in the land's mana…"

"So, this island?" Jace asked.

"Yes." Karn nodded. "I watched maps of this world. The island is located in the middle of nowhere. By the time the inhabitants of Earth notice the Mirrans, they should have settled comfortably."

The group headed to the summit. A closer inspection of the volcano had revealed that the cloud of smoke was merely due to flank vents. Once you passed them, the air was clean and pure and revealed a large crater containing a bubbling lava lake. Lelouch watched the scene with mirth in his eyes.

"It's so pretty…"

Crimson rivers gently ran the slopes, increasing the island's size as they fell into the sea. Koth already knew where the vulshoks would settle.

"It looks like a giant crucible." Chandra noted. "I want to throw metal in it, stir and play with the alloy. It would be fun."

Gideon gave her a weird look. The pyromancer shrugged.

"What? My parents were artificers."

"Indeed." Koth nodded. "Crucible sounds appropriate. And meaningful, given the Mirrans' nature."

"Then Crucible shall be the name of this place." A foreign voice said.

The whole group turned to see a teenage girl walking to them. She had short purplish hair with two long strands reaching her collarbone, lavender eyes, a necklace made of a red winged V and a yellow nightgown. She was barefeet, not bothered the slightest by the heat of the crater.

"Who are you?" Jace asked.

The girl looked at the group.

"I have many names, and just as many faces. Some call me God, others call me the Collective Human Unconsciousness, yet more call me Gaia… All these names are true. I am the soul of this world."

Everyone jumped in surprise.

"You are… Earth?" Lelouch asked.

"Yes. This is what I said."

Nissa walked to the girl.

"I didn't think Earth's soul would appear before us. This is an honor."

"This is a necessity." Earth retorted. "I need to talk to you, and nexuses are the only place where I can incarnate myself."

Everyone looked at her.

"We are all listening."

Earth nodded.

"I have been talking with Mirrodin, or at least the few parts of her soul that aren't broken. To every plane, she sent a call for help, asking them to welcome the last of her children. Most either wouldn't or couldn't, so she turned to me. I was reluctant… until I remembered the threat looming over me. I had already fostered a counter, but he would need allies to support him. So I built this island to be a home for the Mirran refugees."

Nissa raised a brow.

"Something's threatening you?"

"Yes, it has for quite some time." She turned to Lelouch. "Emperor Charles zi Britannia is devising a plan to kill me. He blames me for the misfortune that befell him as a child, and now the fool seeks to take his revenge by destroying me. If he succeeds, I am as doomed as Mirrodin is."

The Gatewatch gasped.

"The Emperor really plans to destroy you!?" Gideon breathed. "How the hell does he want to do that?"

"By uniting the soul of all humankind, living and dead, together into a single entity. A foolish idea."

"I'm… not sure I understand." Chandra frowned.

Earth crossed her arms.

"I am the soul of the world. Every living being harbors a part of itself in me, and every time a life fades, its soul returns to me. If Charles were to succeed, the souls of the living would be merged with mine and the boundary between life and death would be blurred. The Emperor doesn't simply want to create a hive-mind where all of mankind could reach to each other's thoughts, he wants to connect them to me. This would create an imbalance that would lead to the destruction of the world."

"Because you do more than imbue the livings with a part of yourself." Nissa understood. "You also regulate the land, from the flow of seasons to the currents of the seas, the blowing wind and the flow of mana."

"Indeed. This is why the imbalance will destroy Earth. The entity born of the fusion will be unable to maintain it."

Jace looked at Earth.

"You said you fostered a counter. What is it? Or, more exactly, _who?_ "

The girl grinned.

"He is standing right by your side."

Her eyes fell on Lelouch. Everyone's eyes widened.

"The brat?" Liliana asked.

"Yes. He is my answer to Charles's scheme."

The necromancer looked dubious.

"You plan to use the boy against his father?"

"Charles's scheme won't come to fruition before several years. Lelouch is a Planeswalker with a focus on the mind, the perfect counter to his father's plan. Before it can be set in motion, he will grow in strength and skill, so when the day comes, he will be ready." Earth turned to the lava lake. "And, that day, the grateful Mirrans will stand by his side, both to thank him for giving them a homeland and to protect the world they live in."

"But how could you know Lelouch would become a Planeswalker?" Jace asked. "I thought the Spark was a random phenomenon."

"It isn't." Earth shook her head and grinned. " _We_ decide who shall receive the gift of planeswalking."

The group was speechless. Earth explained.

"The Spark is a fragment of the Blind Eternities that we seize and imbue in the soul of a soon-to-be-born child. We do not pick Planeswalkers at random. Every time, there is a reason behind our choices. None of you are an exception." She looked at Nissa. "Worldwaker, chosen by Zendikar to defeat the abominations lying within its womb." She looked at Chandra. "Firebrand, chosen by Kaladesh to remind its inhabitants that aether isn't mere fuel to use, but a living force that shapes the world itself." She looked at Gideon. "The Champion, chosen by Theros to stand as a shield before those who lay weakened and powerless." She looked at Liliana. "The Defiant, chosen by Dominaria to bring down anyone who dares to believe himself above the might of the planes." She looked at Jace. "The Mentalist, chosen by Vryn to unravel the secrets long buried and forgotten."

Jace's eyes widened.

"Vryn… My home world is called Vryn?"

"Yes." Earth smiled. "And it misses you."

The girl walked closer to the edge of the lava lake, closer to the nexus. She held a hand.

"We planes talk to one another. We exchange stories, warn of impending threats and bring news from across the Multiverse. Each of us known everything about every single being that lives within us." She turned to Gideon. "Because of his nature as God of the Horizons, Kruphix happens to possess that knowledge, as well as the ability to learn the past of any foreigner that crosses Theros. Be careful when you go back home. Anyway…" The lake was bubbling, now. Earth looked at Jace. "Anyway, I talked to Vryn, told her how her Planeswalker had taken mine under his wing. She was quite pleased, and a bit worried as well. Since you don't recall your childhood, you don't really have a model to base yourself upon if you want to raise him."

Jace nearly jumped.

"Lelouch isn't my son!"

"He might as well be."

The lake was bubbling even stronger. Earth held a hand as the nexus's activity increased.

"You may have forgotten your birthplace, Jace Beleren, but she hasn't forgotten you. We planes remember when our inhabitants forget, and your past is merely lost to yourself." In a geyser of lava, a white sphere appeared. "Those are her memories of you. Take them, Architect of Thoughts, and remember who you truly are."

Jace took the sphere with reverence. It seeped in his head, through his eyes, nose and mouth. The mentalist was still for a moment, then he gasped. He was on his knees the next second, holding his head as his mind sorted out the memories it had received. Those were indeed his memories, his life at Silmot's Crossing, his parents, Gav and Ranna Beleren, his neighbors and the awakening of his powers… His tutelage under Alhammarret, how he discovered the sphinx was manipulating the war that ravaged the land and their fateful mental duel.

"I remember…"

Earth smiled.

"Yes. At long last."

There was an itch in the mentalist's mind. Earth nodded.

"Go. You have been away for too long."

Jace disappeared in a blink. Lelouch turned to the goddess.

"What about me? Do I have a title?"

"Not yet." Earth shook her head. "You may have a purpose, but how you will fulfill it will determine your title."

Her face became serious. The lava lake calmed and the nexus slowly did the same.

"There is another matter of great importance that must be discussed, but Lelouch is too young yet. We will see about it once the Mirrans have settled over Crucible."

Koth nodded.

"It will take time to craft the island in Mirrodin's image…"

"I will help you." Earth looked at the lava lake. "Tell your people to take as much metal as they can. When they'll come to the island, tell them to throw it in the lake. Crucible will do the rest. Now, you have a gate to build."

–v–

It took three years to build the planar portal. The Gatewatch was naturally very reluctant to let Lelouch go to Mirrodin, knowing the world had completely fallen to Phyrexian dominion. They still let him. The boy was surprised to see with his own eyes the men and women of metal and flesh. Then he met Urabrask.

He hadn't gone far. If anything, Seedling wasn't even a mile away. He could run to safety at a moment's notice.

"Uh? What's that?"

There was a piece of black metal jutting from the ground. Lelouch lost no time unearthing it. It was an ingot, no bigger than his balled fists, heavier than it looked, jet black, and with golden gleams running its surface. The boy looked at his find. It was pretty. Maybe Koth knew what it was. Maybe he could even make a nice trinket out of it…

A shadow loomed over him. When he raised his head, he found himself face to face with a strange draconic abomination of fire and metal. His scream was enough to send all of Seedling up and in arms.

" _ **Heeeeeelp!**_ "

Jace immediately sensed the threat and prepared his deadliest onslaught of illusions and counterspells. Chandra's hair was ablaze and Koth's arms were glowing as if he had molten metal for blood, the lashes of Gideon's sural were twisting and shaking, ready to lash, and Liliana had shadows hovering around her, ready to strike. Lelouch ran right past them and hid behind Nissa, who had been talking to Melira. When they saw Urabrask come, everyone readied for a fight.

"Lower your weapons." The praetor sighed. "I am not here to cause trouble."

"Your mere presence troubles us, praetor." Koth frowned. "You may have left us alone so far, but we still don't trust your kind."

"And rightfully so. But, as you know, most of my forces were crushed by Elesh Norn. Now, I merely wander with what remains of my followers as I dream of revenge."

He snarled the last part. Jace frowned, then smirked.

"Well, if this makes you feel better, your problems are going to go down in flames in about… yeah, six months."

The praetor purred.

"Good news, then. May I ask how? Maybe I could help."

"Help?" Koth scoffed. "From a _praetor!?_ "

"We have a common enemy. As long as you Mirrans did not bother the Furnace, I let you by. Now I want to get back at the pristine bitch that ravaged my land and disturbed the Great Work! I want to see her porcelain face _crushed and smashed and_ _ **squished!**_ "

"Then you shall have it." Liliana grinned deviously. "We're building a device that will take her in a single blast. It will be ready in six months."

A heated snarl came from Urabrask.

"My cohorts will watch over you until you're done. I cannot wait to see it!"

But the praetor was cleverer than he looked. It didn't take him long to understand what the Mirrans prepared.

"A door? How do you want to destroy Elesh Norn with a door?"

The Gatewatch looked at one another and prepared to fight.

"By connecting it to a spellbomb located within the core of Mirrodin. The door will open, allowing us to escape this world and found a home in another. The moment the door will close, it will activate the bomb, which will destroy Mirrodin's core."

The praetor was silent. Gideon, Koth and Chandra were watching for the slightest hint of hostility. The moment he attacked, they would tear him apart.

"I will bring the bomb to Phyrexia's core." Urabrask finally said. "The others will be less suspicious if they see Phyrexians rather than Mirrans."

The Planeswalkers nearly choked.

"Why would you do that?" Koth breathed.

"Because, even though a part of me revolts at the idea of letting myself killed, this explosion is going to be the biggest Phyrexia has ever seen, and I want front-row seat."

"You shall have it." Karn said respectfully. "Thank you for your mercy, Urabrask."

"Good luck in the new world, Mirrans."

The praetor made good on his word. He even offered minor improvements to the planar portal that sped up its construction. Eventually, the day arrived. Holding on his promise, Urabrask called for a meeting of the praetor and was answered by Elesh Norn, Jin-Gitaxias, Sheoldred and Vorinclex. When Jace told him the last Mirran had passed the gate, he revealed the spellbomb, which he had grafted on himself.

"You traitor!" Sheoldred snarled.

"Farewell." Urabrask merely said. "I would say it has been an honor but… it hasn't."

Then the spellbomb detonated and New Phyrexia was no more.

–v–

In the meantime, powered by the light of the five suns, the planar portal shone in Seedling. Koth looked at the refugees. They were thirty, the last remains of the once shining plane of Mirrodin. Melira, Thrun and a couple of Sylvok druids, Kara Vrist and five Neuroks – a pair of brothers and a family of three, Jor Kadeen, Ria Ivor and nine Aurioks that were the sole survivors of the Bladehold holdout, Ghalma, Kemba and three leonins – the last of her pride, and Farris of the Anvil, surrounded by three Vulshoks that were, along with Koth, the last of their kind. Vedalken, elves, goblins, Morioks, none of these species had managed to survive. Ghalma herself was the last loxodon, just like Thrun was the last troll.

Tiny myrs gathered around them. The survivors had decided to take them along as a memento of the old Mirrodin.

"Who knows? Maybe they'll prove useful even on Earth."

As the soul of the world had suggested, they had taken pure metal of Mirrodin along their luggage. At least one person was carrying a bag that was nearly half his size.

"Is everyone ready?" Koth asked.

Everyone nodded.

"Then let's go."

The Planeswalker had decided to go last. In the meantime, the Gatewatch was waiting on the volcanic island on Earth. Gideon had crossed the portal to see if it worked and had come unscathed. The system was safe.

One by one, the last Mirrans left their old world. Koth gave his home one last look. In the sky, the five suns had nearly gone out. The Vulshok sighed. In the end, he couldn't save his world. Instead, he would build a new home in another. Earth had agreed to take the Mirrans in her, and had even created an island to serve as their home.

Praying the new world would hold its word, he crossed the portal, which switched off one second later.

–v–

The Mirrans gathered on the island. The land was still barren, but the flank vents has stopped spewing smoke and the sky was pristine.

"Weird." An Auriok muttered. "There's only one sun."

"And the land is covered with ashes." A Vulshok frowned. "At least, with the volcano around, it feels like home."

Kemba crossed her arms.

"This island is going to be our new home, for all of us. This world is already inhabited, but the island is located far enough that they won't find us before several years. Hopefully, we will have the time to settle."

"That's the plan." Koth crossed his arms. "The volcano is called Crucible, because of its lava lake. The soul of the world advised that we throw the metal we brought in it, and it will do the rest."

Melira looked at the land.

"I can feel a huge amount of mana, even though it feels dormant. I think we're near a lacuna."

"There's indeed a nexus located under the volcano." Nissa appeared. "As for the dormant magic, the inhabitants of Earth have stopped using it long ago, so now it lies sleeping. We hope to change that."

The Mirrans looked at one another. A volcanic island, far from the local civilizations, located right over a nexus of mana. And they could terraform it by throwing the metal they brought into the volcano, who would act as a giant crucible and even a potential open-sky foundry. Perfect.

As they climbed toward the crater, Lelouch took the ingot of black metal. He had kept it with him all along and, in his fright over meeting Urabrask, had forgotten to ask Koth what it was. The Vulshok smiled.

"This is darksteel, the hardest metal ever found in Mirrodin. It is practically incorruptible by Phyrexian oil."

Lelouch grinned.

"It's precious, then."

"You have no idea. Even back then, that metal was extremely rare, and just as hard to craft. Look." The man smiled. "Throw the ingot in the volcano. The first darksteel we gather, I'll make a weapon for you. After all, this is your world."

Lelouch nodded. Once they reached the lava lake, he took the ingot and threw it as hard as he could, nearly tripping in the process. The Mirrans watched the dark gleam fly and fall in the lake. One by one, they emptied their bags. The lake began to boil.

"The nexus is getting more active." Nissa frowned.

"Because it is working."

Everyone turned to see Earth, still in her nightgown, walking toward them. There was a tiny metal plate under her left eye.

"The volcano is assimilating the metal. Tomorrow, the first metal flows will come from the vents and the terraformation will begin. I predict it will take only a month for the island to become a reflection of Mirrodin. From there, you will be able to rebuild your homes."

The Mirrans cheered at the news. And indeed, when the morning came, flows of molten metal were running the slopes of Crucible. The cooled metal revealed shapes that quickly reminded the Mirrans of their homes.

On the eastern part of the island, the flows crystallized in pristine metal plates that reminded Koth of the Glimmervoid. North-east was where the flows containing silver ran. They left behind formations of malleable tin and silver that the Neuroks used to craft themselves new homes. North ran the flow of gold brought by the Aurioks. The tiny sprouts left led them and the leonins believe a new razor field would soon grow there. The flows containing copper ran north-west, leaving in their wake twisting structures Melira hoped would grow into verdigris trees. South-east of the island, the iron flows left a ragged, semi-volcanic land the Vulshoks immediately adopted. Finally, the area left was covered with flows of various metals that left a surprising panorama. It was a mix and match of copper bushes and razor grass, with tin and iron rocks spouting here and there and veins of darksteel jutting from the ground. The Mirrans summarily called it the Alloy Hills.

The Mirran tribes scattered around the island, each settling on the slope that reminded them most of home. Yet, the very first settlement they built was at the edge of the lava lake, on the Alloy Hills.

"This is our city, the city of every Mirran, and not just the Leonins, the Vulshoks or the Neuroks. And its name is Nexus, the place where all of us gather."

Lelouch and the Gatewatch were here for the founding. When the time came to decide who would lead them, the Mirrans first turned to Karn, who refused right away.

"It is my fault Mirrodin was corrupted into New Phyrexia. I don't deserve to be your leader."

They turned to Koth instead. The Planeswalker agreed, albeit reluctantly.

"Don't worry." Gideon reassured. "You'll do just fine. You've helped your people survive the Phyrexians, you'll help them survive this world as well. Besides, Jace is also the leader of a plane, in a way."

"I am the arbiter." Jace corrected. "Ravnica is led by guilds. I'm just the guy who makes sure their fights happen around a table rather than in the streets."

"You'll be surprised how often a leader is also an arbiter. Besides, in a way, you do make the rules."

The mentalist looked away. As promised, as soon as the first forges were set, Koth gathered some of the darksteel from the Hills and used it to craft Lelouch a weapon. It was a bastard sword, tall enough to be used with both hands but, as the boy grew, the grip would allow him to use it with one or both hands depending his need. He also gave Gideon a shield of the same material.

"I can't tell which is going to be the most resilient." The Vulshok joked. "You or that thing."

"Well…" Lelouch grinned as he took his sword. "One way to find out."

Gideon's body glowed bright gold. The teen aimed a blow on his stomach that effortlessly bounced. Koth nodded.

"You're still tougher. And, if I were you, I'd train the kid to use his sword correctly. Even the best weapon is useless in untrained hands."

"You can count on it."

The Gatewatch was looking as the Mirrans quietly built their homes when Earth walked to their side.

"Lelouch, when you confront your father, be careful."

"Of course, I will." The teen crossed his arms. "He is the Emperor, after all."

"Indeed, but this isn't the most important. As you know, he has the power to rewrite the memories of those who meet his eyes. Hopefully, when you confront him, your powers will have grown to the point you can counter it. However, Emperor Charles isn't alone. He has a twin brother, Victor zi Britannia. This is the person you will have to be wary of."

Lelouch raised a brow.

"I never knew Father had a brother."

"Because his existence isn't well-known. Victor, or V.V., directs an organization in charge of studying the power of the Geass, which is a fragment of my essence. Now, regular Geass users like your father can use it to perform various deeds. The Emperor can rewrite memories, his Knight of One, Bismarck, can foresee his opponents' moves, and the young boy called Rolo Haliburton can stop a person's perception of time. V.V. is different. Rather than possessing a Geass, he possesses its evolved variant, the Code. While the Geass is a ridiculous small speck of my essence that grants different powers, the Code is a shard of my being that grants absolute immortality."

The Gatewatch raised a brow.

"Absolute immortality, you say?"

"Yes. No weapon or power can kill a Code Holder, and Geasses have no effect. This is why Charles may be dangerous, but V.V. is even more."

Lelouch frowned deeply.

"If he can't be killed, he can be detained. It reminds me of something I learned on Innistrad. Before Avacyn went mad, angels had the habit of sealing demons in a monolith of pure silver, because they couldn't be killed for good. Why not try the same with V.V.? Put him in a cage he can't escape…"

"He can teleport out of regular prisons."

"Then we'll seal him in an unusual one. How about a prison made with leylines, like the one the Gatewatch used to seal Emrakul? If that kind of seal can trap an Eldrazi, it should trap him as well."

"Or a stasis cell." Jace suggested. "They're fairly common in Ravnica."

Earth smiled.

"As clever as the rest of his family, maybe even more. Maybe a stasis cell could work. But the leyline seal sounds good as well, if only as a backup plan."

The teen nodded. Now, he knew who he was facing and what they could do. When the time came, he would be ready.

That evening, after a long time thinking, Koth agreed to join the Gatewatch. He swore his oath in Nexus.

Red magic swirled over his hand as he spoke.

"For those who struggle for a home, I will keep watch."

* * *

 **And here is next chapter. Now, you know how Lelouch got that Darksteel sword from back then. And the Mirrans are very much alive, though greatly diminished.**

 **As for Lelouch lacking a motivation, not anymore. Now, he knows very well what Daddy plans to do, and he was asked by Earth itself to stop him. You can be certain he'll do everything he can to do his job.**

 **For the reviews...**

 **\- Guest: I tried to be a bit more descriptive here. Enough for you or it could be better?**

 **\- Hikaru Hoshino: probably.**

 **See you soon! Next chapter, the series start.**


	6. The Shadow and the Prince

The Shadow and the Prince

 _21_ _st_ _March 2017_

Lelouch stretched. It wasn't very often that teachers called in sick, so whenever they did, students always made the best of that time. Besides, after what happened the last time he skipped classes, he knew better than trying again.

 _Three years earlier…_

 _There isn't much you can hide from a mentalist. Especially one who basically raised you._

" _Lelouch…"_

 _The teen shrunk. Jace wasn't easy to anger but, when it happened, best not be on the same plane. Unfortunately, he had done just that._

" _But the class was boring! And I knew everything already! And there was that book at the library Nunnally wanted and I thought…"_

" _Spare me your excuses. You skipped classes. This is something I_ _ **cannot**_ _tolerate."_

 _Lelouch whined and looked down. Jace started pacing._

" _I am doing my best to make sure you can have a proper education despite you being a Planeswalker. I make a point of waiting for week-ends and holidays to take you on planar trips and, in return, I expect you to follow at school."_

" _But I'm following-"_

" _Yes, and that's why your grades aren't below average. But you and I both know you can do much better than that. You're intelligent, Lelouch. I know it. I have seen that intelligence at work. Where I don't see it is in your grades."_

 _The teen raised his head and the mentalist had to hold himself. Sometimes, the simplest forms of manipulation didn't require mind tricks. Just a pair of big, wide purple eyes looking at him like a kicked puppy. Jace looked away, trying everything he could to not give in._

" _Lelouch, you_ _ **know**_ _I'm doing this for you. Education is important and I want to make sure you get the best. This involves teaching you not to skip classes. Now, I want you to go see Mr. Casaubon and apologize, alright?"_

 _Lelouch nodded. Jace crossed his arms._

" _And stop slacking in class. I'll help you with homework if I have to and I'm not asking you to be the best in every class. If you can't manage somewhere, it's fine. Just tell me. But I still want you to do_ _ **your**_ _best. Understood?"_

 _Lelouch nodded again and left the room. When he returned later, he wasn't surprised to find twice the usual homework on his desk._

 _Today…_

This was only because their science teacher wasn't here today that he and Rivalz had decided to go for a ride in town. There was that noble who boasted a huge winning streak at chess and Lelouch had decided to take him on. Maybe he'd prove to be a challenge…

Or not. From an unwinnable situation to a crushing defeat in nine minutes. The teen scoffed as he and his friend left the building.

"I should've known. Nobles have money and pride, but no idea how to use them. Boring."

"Wanna try an E – I mean, a Japanese, next time? I heard they're tougher."

"Of course they are." Lelouch shrugged. "They have to be to survive."

Life in Japan, or Area Eleven as the Britannians called it, wasn't easy for its native population. The regime of Viceroy Clovis was harsh and merciless, and those who didn't join the Resistance struggled to make a living in the ghettos. For having participated in the Mirrans' exodus to Earth, the teen knew what it meant to fight for a homeland. He couldn't help but think the metal people would get along just fine with the Japanese. Besides, he himself didn't have a home. Not anymore. It had been taken from him when he was nine.

"Hey man, you okay? You spaced out for a moment."

"I'm fine, Rivalz." Lelouch sighed. "Just thinking about the past."

The closest thing he had to a home was his house at Ashford Academy and the Guildpact's Chamber in Ravnica. He still didn't feel truly at home in either of those. And, sometimes, it weighted on him.

' _Focus._ ' The teen frowned. ' _Don't forget your goal. I have to grow strong enough to stop the Emperor and V.V. Once their plan is foiled and both are either dead or neutralized, I can look toward the future._ '

On a large screen, news came about a terrorist attack in Osaka. The attack had caused the death of at least eight Britannians and a yet unknown amount of victims. Lelouch hid a smile. Attacks like these were more common than people thought. Genbu Kururugi was making good on his plan to pester Britannia until they decided Japan simply wasn't worth it. If his guess was right, the target this time had to be a military research center…

Prince Clovis appeared on screen and began to speak. Lelouch quickly muted him off.

' _Blablablabla... Clovis is a better painter and orator than administrator, that's for sure. If, say, Cornelia or Schneizel were in charge, Genbu and Tohdoh would play a different game. As it is, Clovis is rather easy to handle. The only problem is his bone-headed stubbornness. That moron doesn't know when to stop._ '

Rivalz looked at him.

"Is it me or the Viceroy's speech doesn't seem to phase you?"

"As far as motivational speeches go, I heard both better and worse. Gotta give it to him, though: he's a good comedian."

Rivalz whistled.

"You don't have much love for him, do you, man?"

Lelouch's answer was a pointed glare. Rivalz dropped the matter. The two teens got on the bike.

"Half an hour before next class. We'll be fine."

"Good." Lelouch breathed. "Jace yelled at me once for skipping, I don't want to try my luck twice. I'm not stupid."

"At least he's behind you." Rivalz looked down. "I wish I could say the same about my parents…"

"Got family issues?"

"Yeah, big time."

"Then that makes two of us."

Rivalz raised a brow.

"Really? I've been at your place a few times and the people here seemed pretty cool. They don't look like your real parents, though. Except for that lady in purple…"

Lelouch cringed and looked down.

"That's because they're not. They're just the people who raised Nunnally and I. Still better than my real parents by a _long_ shot. And don't ask me about my other siblings. Half of them could use a shrink."

Rivalz couldn't help but laugh.

"I'm lucky my parents are only estranged, then."

"To give you a single example, my father has the habit of sleeping around. A lot. I have more than a dozen siblings aside from Nunna, and she's my only full-blood sibling. All the others have a different mom."

"Is your dad a whore!?"

"No, but he might as well be."

Rivalz held a laugh. Lelouch had sharp wits, and an even sharper tongue when he was in the mood. A shadow loomed over them, followed by a blaring horn. The teen turned to see a trunk trailing them.

"Holy sh-"

Revving the engine, he swerved sharply out of the path. The trunk took a sideway and came crashing into a construction site. Lelouch frowned.

"Rivalz, park here. I'm gonna help them."

"What?"

"You heard me." The Planeswalker frowned. "This crash looks nasty, and I doubt any bystander's gonna get off and lend a hand."

He turned to the crowd that had gathered around the site. People were whispering and taking pictures, but none were heading for the construction site. Lelouch grumbled.

' _How nice is the local mentality! Bunch of sheep._ '

He turned to Rivalz.

"Stay here and watch the bike. If you see anything strange, scream."

"Got it. Take care of yourself, pal."

The teen hid a smirk.

"Don't worry, I'm tougher than I look."

He put a hand in his back. His Darksteel sword was strapped under his uniform, hidden from sight yet easily reachable. Anyone telling him to put his hands in his back would have a nasty surprise. He jumped toward the trunk.

"Hey, are you alright in there?"

No answer. Lelouch climbed on top of the vehicle. The roof was partially open and a strange machine was stored in it. Opening his mind, the teen reached out with a feather-like touch. There were two people at the front, slowly coming out of consciousness, and another inside the strange machine. Before he could delve further, the drivers snapped back to full consciousness… and high-tailed it from the construction site, dragging the poor Planeswalker along. Lelouch yelped and rolled inside the trunk. His mind turned to Rivalz and felt his worry.

' _It's alright._ ' The teen frowned. ' _I'm unhurt. Just go back to school and tell Milly I'm gonna be late for class._ '

' _Will you be alright?_ ' Rivalz asked.

Like every member of the student council, he knew his friend could use magic. What he didn't know was his ability to jump between worlds.

' _I'll be fine. If things go south, I got my powers._ '

' _Good. I should really start to look into that stuff…_ '

' _I could teach you when I go back._ ' Lelouch offered. ' _I know Milly's started training on her own._ '

Rivalz nodded and tried to soothe his nerves.

' _I'll hold you on that, pal._ '

Lelouch nodded and sat in the trunk, casting an invisibility spell on himself. At the same time, he looked into the drivers' minds.

Kallen Kozuki and Nagata Shindoh, members of a small Resistance cell located in the Shinjuku ghetto. They and their group had successfully launched an assault on a research center in Osaka, where rumor had it that Prince Clovis was conducting deeply secret experiments. The kind that had Classified in red all over the files. A crucial part of those experiments – more exactly, the subject – was sealed within the machine.

' _Not bad for a small Resistance cell._ ' Lelouch thought.

This might also explain why Clovis had sent not just the army but also his private forces after the trunk. The teen held the urge to roll his eyes. Getting what you wanted from a burglary was nice, but it meant nothing if you were caught on the way home. Fortunately, Kallen was a Knightmare pilot and they just happened to have an old Glasgow on hand…

Lelouch had to give it to her, the girl was skilled. Alone, in an outdated Knightmare Frame against Jeremiah Gottwald, one of Clovis's most skilled fighters who also happened to have a next-generation Sutherland, she lost an arm but managed to buy enough time for Nagata to escape. Unfortunately, another Frame, piloted by Viletta Nu, managed to get him in the chest several times. Lelouch frowned. Without treatment, the rebel wouldn't even see nightfall. He sent feelings of comfort to help him hold on. The man wouldn't realize the feeling didn't come from him, and it would keep him going on for awhile.

' _I wish I was a natural at healing magic like Nunnally is. She would bring him back to health with a finger snap. As it is, I can only heal minor wounds._ '

Well, he could still use a stasis cell. This was more in his line of work. Karn had taught him some Time Magic during his stays at Crucible…

A violent bump sent him lurching forward. Nagata was slipping out of consciousness, his wounds catching up with him. Lelouch frowned.

"No, you don't!"

Drawing his sword and dropping the illusion, he cut the door leading to the front of the trunk. The Japanese man was here, lying in a pool of blood. There were several high-caliber rounds in his chest, way outside the boy's competence field.

"Looks like I'll have to use a cell."

His eyes glowed blue. From his fingers, a blue cocoon of light seeped and wrapped around the man. As long as he remained in it, time had all but stopped for him. The spell would last long enough for Nunnally or anyone with the right competences to heal him.

The brush of aggressiveness was the only warning he got. Instinctively, Lelouch ducked, avoiding the spinning kick that would have struck his head. He rolled, dropped his sword and lurched, hand balled. His free hand caught another kick. His balled hand glowed a soft purple and struck the aggressor in the stomach. The soldier fell on the ground. Before he could rise, shadow threads had bound him. Lelouch picked his sword.

" _That_ wasn't your wisest move."

He peered into his head… and nearly jumped out. The tendrils faded away.

"Suzaku!? What are you doing there?"

Suzaku rose and removed his helmet.

"Good to see you haven't lost your touch, Lelouch. Gideon finally got around teaching you sword-fighting?"

"Yeah. I also learned new tricks with my magic. So, what are you doing within the Britannian army?"

Suzaku looked down.

"I wasn't happy either, but Subaru Sumeragi sent me anyway. He said it would help me get a better living if I managed to become Britannian."

' _Does Genbu know about it?_ '

Suzaku didn't answer immediately. Instead, he looked down.

' _I don't think anyone told him. I know I didn't. I don't want him to get mad at Subaru, even if the old fool turned fully pro-Britannian._ '

Lelouch frowned. Putting a hand on his friend's shoulder, he gave him his warmest feeling.

' _You should tell him. He is your father. He has a right to know. Besides, Subaru's gone traitor. He needs to know about that too and work around it._ '

Suzaku nodded. Lelouch had always been incredibly smart for his age. He remembered hearing the Gatewatch say it was a family trait. Lelouch sheathed his sword.

"So, what's going on?"

"The army's circling the Shinjuku ghetto. They say terrorists got off with poison gas and we're out to get it back. I already sent a signal.

"Which means we're gonna have company soon." Lelouch's eyes glowed a soft blue. "Well, you know what? They lied. This isn't poison gas."

"What is it, then?"

The teen's grin widened.

"Top-secret experiment, the kind you find in spy novels. You know, those with big, red Classified all over. I have no idea how they managed to snatch it from under Clovis's nose, but they did it. Now, maybe they should rework their escape plan for next time…"

"If the army lets them have it."

Lights suddenly shone. The two boys blinked as a squad of men appeared. They were wearing red and had machine guns. Royal Guards. Lelouch congratulated himself for learning how to make forcefields and brushed the squad's minds. He reeled back instantly.

' _Typical Britannians, especially their leader. Racist to the core, and with a pride bigger than Valakut. This won't end well._ '

To make things even worse, the machine opened at the same moment to reveal its content. It was a woman, either in her late teens or her early twenties, with green hair and trapped in a white straightjacket. Suzaku immediately ran at the squad, only to be violently slapped away by its leader.

"You goddamn monkey, what have you done!?"

"I've done nothing." Suzaku retorted. "That machine opened on its own."

"You have no right to protest! You're nothing but an honorary Britannian."

Suzaku quickly thought. The girl in the machine was part of a top-secret experiment, important enough that the army and Clovis's forces had gone after it. He was just a private, and an honorary Britannian to boot. In other words, no better than a Japanese to most. Even if he got out of the mess alive, he was in trouble.

To his surprise, the leader gave him a gun.

"Here, good monkey. If you shoot that terrorist, maybe your masters will be merciful for saving them from that poison gas."

His voice was sickeningly sweet. Suzaku looked him dead in the eyes.

' _Don't listen to him!_ ' Lelouch warned him. ' _You're next on the list!_ '

The teen's answer was to bat the gun away and step on it.

"One, this boy isn't a terrorist but my friend. Two, I am neither a monkey nor stupid. I have no idea what that girl is exactly, but for you to blatantly lie about it, this means she belongs to something top-secret. And the policy in that situation is to leave no witness."

The leader's eyes widened.

"You filthy-"

Before either Lelouch or Suzaku could react, the man hit Suzaku hard enough to send him to the floor. He grabbed his gun, only for Lelouch to give him a splitting headache. The ache was brutal enough that the shot missed its mark, grazing Suzaku's waist instead of hitting his neck. Lelouch's eyes ignited with a blue light.

" _ **Bastards!**_ "

The Planeswalker lunged, sword in hand, so fast the squad could barely react. From his position, Suzaku witnessed the whole scene.

Lelouch was moving with surprising speed and grace. His black sword shone in the light, swift, merciless. For all it was worth, the guards might as well have been wearing armors of papier-mâché. The first victim of the teen's rush was the leader. The sword skewered him in the innards as Lelouch bump-rushed him, sending him sprawling on the floor. With his other hand, he launched a sphere of darkness that caught a guard in the chest. The teen pulled up short, unsheathed his sword from the man's body and swung, opening a guard's throat. A guard aimed his gun. Lelouch seized it and turned it away, causing it to spray bullets up the ceiling of the tunnel. At the same time, he thrust his sword in another and ducked, thus dodging the volley that hit two guards and killed them.

It suddenly came to Suzaku that there was a reason why Lelouch went first for those who had a gun pointed at him. His friend was a _mentalist_. He could read people's minds, and thus know who was aiming at him, and where and when they were going to fire. Then he struck first.

Lelouch lunged, slicing cleanly a guard's leg before striking him in the back as he fell. He shifted grip, rose and thrust his sword in a guard's stomach, then nearly bisected him as he swung and opened another guard's stomach, disemboweling him. With a swift swing, he beheaded a guard before grabbing the handle with both hands and thrust his sword in the heart of the last.

"And that makes all of them." Lelouch spat. "Next time, don't shoot my friend."

Suzaku didn't know whether to empty his bowels or stare in awe. Lelouch stood, his school uniform covered with blood that was also dripping from his face and his sword. Right here, under the light, the dark figure with glowing blue eyes was awesome in the oldest sense of the word.

Lelouch took a paper tissue and cleaned his sword before sheathing it and turning to his friend. He knelt at Suzaku's side and looked at his wound.

"I see. Nothing serious. I can handle that."

Green light flowed from his fingertips. A bullet fell from the wound, which was closed and clean a moment later. The teen grinned.

"It took me months to master it, but Nissa eventually managed to teach me healing magic. Nunna's much better, though."

Suzaku blinked several times.

"You… You killed them. All of them. And you didn't get a scratch."

"If only you knew the kind of trouble I can get in at time, you'd be surprised. Besides, Gideon's an amazing teacher."

His mind was wandering around, reaching out above the underground and to the inhabitants of the Shinjuku ghetto. There was a brief moment of worry as he saw through their eyes the army scattering to search the area… then the worry became panic.

Lelouch gasped.

"No…!"

Guns and weapons thundered across the ghetto as the massacre began. The teen only had the time to use his powers to summon Nunnally before the terror and death overcame him. Nunnally appeared in a flash of light.

"Big Brother?"

Suzaku looked at her, dumbfounded. How did Lelouch summon his sister!? The girl was a lot like he remembered, lavender eyes wide and aware, blonde hair flowing in curls in her back and dressed in a pink dress. She was still in a wheelchair.

"Big Brother?" The girl asked. "Why did you – Uh? What's going on?"

Lelouch was curled on the ground, clutching his head. He could feel them all. Right now, his mind was connected to that of every resident of the ghetto, right as they were being massacred by the Britannians. It was a horrible feeling. In a wail, he reached out to his mentor. Jace must've felt his agony because he was here the next second.

"Lelouch? What's going on?"

His mind joined that of his student and he gasped.

"They can't…"

"Jace!"

The mentalist turned to Nunnally. The girl looked at him.

"Big Brother is in pain, but I'm afraid of joining his mind. What's happening? What is he feeling to be like that?"

Jace frowned deeply.

"The army's massacring the ghetto."

Suzaku jumped.

"They can't!"

"They are Britannians, and they have weapons." Jace snarled. "Of course, they can! They are in conquered land, henceforth, they have all the rights."

Nunnally's gaze became fierce.

"We have to save them. How can I help?"

The mentalist thought for a moment.

"…Use your mist. Surround the Britannian forces and keep it around them. Make them blind. Actually…" An idea crossed his mind. "Cover the whole ghetto with it, except for the paths leading underground. I'm going to reach to the Japanese's minds and guide them there."

Riding on Lelouch's powers, he quickly touched the minds of the ghetto's inhabitants.

' _Underground!_ ' He whispered. ' _Go underground if you want to live!_ '

He was skilled enough with his powers that the thought felt like their own. The Japanese obeyed, following the clear paths in the strange white fog that led them to the tunnels. At the same time, Jace turned off Lelouch's powers. The teen breathed and gripped his mentor's robes, whimpering. Jace held him and massaged his head.

"There, it's alright. It's over. Shhhh…"

Lelouch sobbed. It felt strange, to Suzaku, to see his friend slaughter an entire squad single-handedly, only to be reduced to a whimpering mess.

"Mental traumas can be nasty like that." Jace nodded, as if he heard his thoughts. He probably had.

"It… It felt like a candle flame being snuffed out." Lelouch uttered. "At first, there was panic and fear, and then there was nothing. Nothing at all. Just… a blank. Pfft. Gone. And there was so many of them! So many… disappearing…"

Jace held his student tight.

"Feeling people die is never pleasant, especially in large numbers."

Lelouch's eyes hardened.

"We have to do something! Clovis must pay for all these deaths! He has to!"

His tone was surprisingly harsh. At the same time, Suzaku understood. He wasn't happy with the massacre either.

"He will." Jace reassured; "But, first, how are you feeling?"

"Getting better." Lelouch shivered. "By the way, Nunna? There's a man in the front seat of that trunk. He's heavily wounded, high-caliber rounds. I put him in a stasis cell. Can you heal him?"

"Sure!" The girl smiled and rolled her wheelchair.

Jace crossed his arms.

"Alright. What happened?"

Rather than speaking, Lelouch waited until Nunnally was done healing Nagata and gave her, Jace and Suzaku a mental retelling of the past hour. Jace rolled his eyes.

"The right guy at the wrong place at the wrong time. I know my classics well enough to know this is how most stories start."

"I don't know." Lelouch hesitated. "But we have to help these people, and it means fighting back Clovis's forces."

"And I suppose you have a plan."

The teen didn't answer immediately.

"Maybe I do. First, I'll need to contact the Resistance cell."

His mind reached to the Britannian soldiers. Slowly, a smile crept on his face.

"Yes." Lelouch nodded. "You're right, Jace. I do have a plan. And Clovis will never see anything coming. Karma's a bitch, Brother."

He looked at his mentor and his sister.

"Go find the survivors and stay with them. Nunna, they may need your powers. Take Nagata along and keep him asleep. He needs it. Suzaku, you're coming with me."

He grabbed the rebel's communicator and headed for the underground's exit, his friend behind him. At the same time, using telekinesis, Jace took both Nagata and the green-haired girl and headed to where the ghetto's inhabitants had gathered, Nunnally following close. Lelouch closed his eyes and seized the mind of a Sutherland pilot. At the same time, he controlled the driver of a nearby train and made him stop it, then put the man to sleep. The train was carrying Knightmare Frames.

"Alright." Suzaku crossed his arms as Lelouch put the pilot to sleep in a warehouse. "You have a Knightmare. Now, what?"

"Now, we show Clovis how it feels to be on the receiving end of an unstoppable force." He took the communicator. "Ohgi, right? You are the leader of the Shinjuku Resistance cell."

"I am." A man answered on the other end. "Who are you?"

"The one who saved your friend. Tell me, do you want to get back at the Britannians for slaughtering your people?"

Ohgi growled.

"If I could, yes. Very much."

"Then take your men to the west entrance. Make sure Kallen is with you, her Knightmare could use a refill. By the way, how's Nagata?"

Ohgi complied. He had gathered in an abandoned station along with the ghetto's survivors, and they had just been joined by a man and a girl in a wheelchair. Nagata was with them, asleep but fine. The man was carrying a green-haired girl.

"Nagata's alright. By the way, how do you know our names?"

Lelouch chuckled.

"That's my little secret. The girl is my little sister. She will take care of the injured. Hurt her at your own risk."

Ohgi smiled.

"The thought never crossed my mind. I don't know who you are or how you know so much about us, but any help is appreciated. Heading to west entrance right away. Guys!"

The rebels followed their leader. Kallen was with them, still riding her Knightmare. She, too, had been caught in Jace's mind control. They were surprised to find the train, and even more by its content. The communicator activated again.

"Alright. Now, you have what it takes to fight the Britannians on equal ground."

"But they're much more than us!" One of the rebels, Sugiyama, retorted. "How do you expect us to win!?"

"First, by following every one of my commands to the letter. Two, by using something called Ground Advantage. After all, the ghetto is your home, right? You know it. This is your _territory_."

Kallen's eyes gleamed as she understood.

"There's a reason people are very careful while threading on enemy ground."

"Exactly. Shall we _demonstrate?_ "

Lelouch didn't even need his mind-reading. The stolen Sutherland gave him all the information he needed. And, thanks to having gained the rebels' trust, they were obeying his every order. There was no regret on either side.

"P-1, fire your slash harkens at three o'clock. Q-1, destroy the pillar. N-group, enemy incoming at seven. Lure them at G23. K-3, prepare to fire… Fire."

In his command center, Clovis couldn't believe it. One by one, his forces were being annihilated.

"What the hell is going on!?"

In his Knightmare, Lelouch was having the time of his life. Suzaku looked at him.

"So, what am I gonna do?"

"Well…" Lelouch grinned deviously. "As you see, Clovis's forces are being laminated one squad at a time, and there's nothing he can do about it. Huh? Did he really… That moron! K-1, Q-1, jackpot at eleven! Collapse the plate from under their feet! Silly Big Brother. You really don't know anything about warfare, do you?"

Clovis gasped as a large amount of his forces was caught in the plate's destruction. Lelouch was jubilating.

"You were wondering why I dragged you along. Well, here's why: my mind brushed that of the head scientist of the Special Corps. And guess what? They just came up with a brand new generation of Knightmare Frame that they brought in the hopes of testing it. The problem is, they don't have a pilot, so the thing's basically useless right now."

"And?"

"And…" Lelouch's grin became devilish. "The encirclement is broken, Clovis's forces are being, forgive my language, skewered, and there's not many forces left to defend the command center… and the trunk holding the Frame." The Planeswalker turned to his friend. "So, what do you say we steal it?"

Suzaku wondered if his friend was insane.

"Are you serious?"

"As cancer. Tighten your seatbelt, we're going."

Suzaku shook his head and sighed. A smile crossed his face.

"You know what? I like that plan. Let's do it."

Lelouch laughed.

"Eh, why stop at the injury when you can add the insult?"

As soon as they were close enough to the command center, Lelouch left the Sutherland and cloaked both himself and Suzaku with an invisibility spell. Sneaking past the guards was ridiculously easy, especially after he and Jace had upgraded the spell to hide body heat and muffle sound. This made them invisible to all but the most sophisticated cameras. The young mentalist dived in the mind of Lloyd and his assistant and passed the information to Suzaku before putting the pair to sleep.

"Payback time, Brother."

It didn't take long for Suzaku to shift from his military uniform to the pilot suit.

"It looks nice." The teen noted.

"Yep, you look good in it. Come on, we're on a schedule."

Lelouch removed the blanket covering the Knightmare and Suzaku whistled.

"Nice!"

"And it's all yours."

Suzaku laughed.

"You really have a way with gifts, you know? Of all the things, on the day we reunite after eight long years, you offer me a _Knightmare_. And not anyone, if the info you gave me is true."

"Got it straight from that guy's head, so I guess it must be true. Find out?"

The brunette didn't have to be told twice. He took the key, jumped in the cockpit and lit the engine. The info proved true. Before anyone knew what was going on, the white Frame had taken off at full throttle. Lelouch grinned and took the communicator.

"Ohgi, in reward for your performance, I have a gift waiting for you at the camp."

"A gift?"

"Yes. I'm sure you'll like."

When Ohgi saw the pristine Knightmare, he understood.

"I do! Thank you very much, Sir."

Lelouch didn't answer. He was busy. Infiltrating the command center was ridiculously easy, as was putting everyone inside to sleep. Everyone but Clovis. The prince rose from his seat.

"Hey, what is going on!? Why is everyone…"

The lights went off. Only the dim security lights were still on, blanketing the room in pale darkness. A shadow strolled in, a gleaming black sword in hand. Clovis sneered.

"You! Are you the one who did it? Why?"

"My, my. For someone so fashionable, you seem to be wholeheartedly lacking in manners, Your Highness."

Clovis's eyes widened. A small sphere of light appeared between the two, revealing Lelouch in his still bloodied student uniform. There was a devious gleam in his eyes.

"Hello, Big Brother. It's been awhile."

Clovis looked like he had seen a ghost. In a way, he had.

"Lelouch? No… This cannot be! You died eight years ago! I saw the video! I still remember it, how you begged and the Prime Minister shot you-"

"It was a frame-up." Lelouch retorted. "As this video was being broadcasted, I was quietly enjoying dinner with Genbu and his family, Nunnally at my side. It was a very enjoyable meal. In fact, we even cracked some jokes." His eyes narrowed. "Then we saw the broadcast."

"So… you are alive? For real?"

"How else would I be standing before you? You can be really dense, sometimes."

Clovis's hug took him completely off guard. He dropped his sword when he felt tears in his hair. Was the prince _really_ crying?

"You're alive!" Clovis sobbed. "You're alive. You're safe. You're… I'm so happy!"

The hug felt warm and genuine. After a moment of hesitation, Lelouch returned it. They stayed like this for a moment, Clovis happy beyond words and Lelouch feeling more and more awkward.

"Seven Hells, Little Brother!" Clovis finally breathed. "Where have you been all this time!? We really thought you were dead! Is Nunna alive as well? How is she doing? How are _you_ doing? Wait, is that blood on you? Are you injured?"

"Speak slower." Lelouch frowned. "You're running your mouth a mile an hour. To answer your question, Nunna's doing fine, thank you. As for the blood, I believe it belongs to your royal guard. They shot my best friend and I killed them in retaliation."

Clovis was speechless. Lelouch crossed his arms.

"What do you think I did during all these years? Hide in a hole and pray no Britannian would find me? Oh no. Hell no, I didn't. I trained, physically and mentally, so the day I get my hands on whoever made that stupid video, I can make him _pay_."

"Save me some." Clovis crossed his arms. "If that video was really a frame-up, then everyone in the Imperial Family was fooled. This cannot stand. As soon as the others hear about it, they will start looking too, and knowing Schneizel and Cornelia, they will want payback as well. That was a nasty prank."

"And yet, you fell for it hook, line and sinker. And an innocent nation paid the price for your deception."

Clovis sighed and sat in his throne.

"Yes. We attacked Japan so viciously because we thought they had killed you. If only we had known… But why did you not tell us? Why did you not show up and say you were alive? We are your family!"

Lelouch's laugh was not a laugh of fun. It was sharp and sad, cutting the air like a knife.

"My family!? What kind of family disregards my mother's death as an everyday event? What kind of family treats my sister's paralysis like a banality? What kind of family uses a blind, crippled little girl as a bargaining chip, and then calls out her brother for being weak when he is only nine, and there's absolutely nothing he could have done!? Tell me, Clovis, do you know what the Emperor told me that day, when I came to confront him about the incident!?"

He was almost screaming, his eyes glowing a threatening mix of purple and blue. Clovis shook his head, caught off-guard by his brother's fury.

" _You are dead. You have been dead from the moment you were born. Who gave you the clothes you wear? Your home, your food, your very life! All of those, I have given to you! In short, you have never actually lived! And yet, you dare to speak such foolishness to me? Lelouch, as you are dead, you have no right!_ This is what he told me. Now, do you honestly think I would return to a family like _that_ after all that happened?"

The elder Prince shook his head pitifully. Lelouch crossed his arms.

"I wouldn't, and I didn't. I had enough of being pushed left and right, of being a pawn in our family's schemes. The Imperial Family is a royal mess of ambitious schemers and power-hungry backstabbers, all played like puppets by the man who sired us, always waging wars and trying to outdo the other in the sole purpose of being chosen to inherit the throne. I got fed up with them and used the frame-up to fake my and Nunnally's deaths, and I have no regret whatsoever. In fact, I am _glad_ I did, because I didn't turn as bad as you."

Clovis looked down. There was sadness in his eyes.

"I am sorry it happened. I understand why you hate us and I am sad you suffered so much."

Taking a handkerchief, he went to his brother and began wiping the blood from his face and his clothes. Lelouch was surprised by the kindness of the gesture.

"I still see you as my brother, and even if you hate our family, I am still very happy you are still alive and doing fine. I just wish you would return with us, but after what you told me, I suppose it is a no-go."

"Indeed. I will _never_ return to you." Lelouch frowned. "I'm not part of the family anymore."

"Then go." Clovis sighed. "Just tell me where you live so I can pass once in awhile, just to say you and Nunna hi. I still care for you, Little Brother."

"And I hate you for what you've done."

The Prince froze.

"What?"

"You heard me."

Lelouch picked his sword and glared at the prince.

"You're a murderer, Clovis. You massacred an entire ghetto to recover a top-secret experiment, taking the lives of hundreds of innocents in the process. This isn't something I can't forgive."

"But they were Eleven!"

Lelouch's hand hit his face hard enough to leave a mark.

"They are people! They have their own life, no matter how meager it is! They have family, friends, lovers! They have hopes and dreams! And what did you do? You crushed them. Spilled their blood on the pavement as if they were animals. Just because a handful of them wronged you."

His eyes shone with a bright blue light.

"During the eight years I was away, I got powers on my own. Powers that make me unique. I have the ability to control shadows and manipulate people's minds. I can read them, talk to them, manipulate them, erase them… I was in their head when your men began the massacre. Tell me, Clovis, do you know what it feels like, to listen to people's thoughts as they die? Can you begin to imagine their pain, their fear, their bewilderment? One moment they were minding their own business, and the next, the army was gunning them down. And that's nothing compared to _feeling them die in your head_. One moment there's fear and pain, and the next there's nothing. Nothing at all. Just a blank."

Clovis shuddered. Lelouch stood tall, threatening. He was still holding his sword. A threatening grin crossed his face.

"Do you know who commandeered the forces that crushed yours? Me. It was I who defeated you. And I even stole that prototype Knightmare you had brought along."

The teen strolled to his brother and put his sword on his neck. Clovis was sweating buckets, now.

"You're a murderer, Your Highness. For all the people you killed, you deserve to die. But you're also my brother, so I'm not going to kill you." Lelouch's eyes shone purple. "I am just going to make you relive the three worst memories of your life."

It was a little spell he'd learned in Kamigawa, during one of the Gatewatch's visits to Tamiyo's home. He had found it in the swamps of Takenuma, no long after he'd found the mask in the shrine.

 _Three Tragedies_

Clovis's eyes widened. Glyph-like patterns circled his head and seeped in his eyes, causing him to gasp. Soon, the prince was struggling against the visions, trashing like a madman on his throne. Lelouch sheathed his sword and left.

"All tasks at hand are cleared. Now, to find a taxi…"

* * *

 **And here is next chapter. I was going to wait longer but I really wanted to post it since it's the beginning of the series...**

 **So, Suzaku joins the Rebellion, he and Lelouch steal the Lancelot (which is bound to utterly piss off Lloyd), and Lelouch doesn't kill Clovis (he just mind rapes him instead). Oh, and he and Nunnally save Nagata, which gets them in the good graces of the Shinjuku resistance cell. Nice chapter?**

 **For the reviews...**

 **\- jetslinger333: the chapter partially answered your question, but the others will answer as well bit after bit.**

 **\- Hoguie: it isn't easy to keep the Gatewatch true to their cannon selves. Mostly, story-wise, Jace is Lelouch's mentor/father substitute who tries to balance being the Living Guildpact with raising a child and his habit of helping everyone. Gideon is boisterous and warm, closer to Nunnally than Lelouch, skilled at magic and weapons and always willing to help. Liliana is, simply put, a bitch with manners. She is harsh, anything but nice, but Lelouch has shadow powers so she trains him and acknowledges his skills. Chandra is the siblings' big sis. Fun-loving, _ferociously_ protective, very supportive and with a temper as hot as her flames. Don't tell her what to do. Finally, Nissa is the maternal substitute and Nunnally's other teacher. Quiet, caring and nurturing, just like nature. Threaten the pair and she will raise the land to kill you. That is mostly how I portray them. Now, am I close enough to cannon?**

 **\- OBSERVER01: and he isn't alone. There is his little sister, and his caretakers as well.**

 **\- .reads: I'm not going to answer that. Mostly because I know very little about Captain Planet.**

 **And that's all for now. See you soon!**


	7. The mentalist's mercy

The mentalist's mercy

Having spent eight years living at Ashford, Lelouch knew the place like the back of his hand. Sneaking in was easy, as was reaching his home and avoiding Sayoko and Gintaro, the silver myr he'd given her as a birthday present. As soon as he was in his room, he threw away his bloodied uniform and looked for a cleaner one. No way he was going to meet the Resistance fighters in a blood-soaked outfit! As soon as he was properly dressed, he closed his eyes. Not every Planeswalker knew teleportation – himself included – but there was always an alternative. Namely, plane-jumping.

First, jump in his room at the Guildpact's Chamber in Ravnica. Then, use the mind-link with Nunnally and leap to her side. He nearly caused a panic when he appeared.

"Sorry I'm late." The teen apologized. "My uniform was covered with blood and I needed to change."

The rebels looked at one another. Suzaku, on the other hand, wasn't surprised.

"Are you the one who helped us?"

"Yes."

"You don't look like a Japanese." One of Ohgi's men noted.

"That's because I'm Britannian."

Everyone took a step back. Lelouch sighed. Nunnally looked at the rebels.

"Big Brother and I are among the few Britannians who disapprove of the Emperor's actions. We may be Britannians, but we don't like our brethren."

"She's right." Suzaku nodded. "I am Suzaku Kururugi, son of former Prime Minister Genbu Kururugi, the leader of Japan's Resistance. Lelouch and his sister can be trusted. They are my childhood friends."

This got the rebels to relax. Lelouch smiled.

"Thanks, Suze."

"No problem."

Ohgi smiled.

"If the Prime Minister's son is vouching for you, then I trust you. Thanks a lot for the help. Without you and your family, things would have been much worse."

Lelouch chuckled nervously.

"Actually, Jace isn't my father, even though he basically raised me. Besides, I only helped you because the Viceroy was slaughtering the people of the ghetto and I couldn't stand it. Ordering you afterwards was just a matter of teaching him a lesson."

"Still…" Ohgi looked at the white Knightmare. "Did you really have to steal that top-of-the-line Knightmare afterwards? The army must be spitting mad as we talk."

"When I set to humiliate someone…" Lelouch crossed his arms. "I do it _thoroughly_. This means leaving nothing to chance. Besides…" A devilish grin crossed his face. "As I told my old friend, why stop at the injury when you can add the insult?"

One of the rebels laughed.

"I like the way you think, man!"

"And the Viceroy?"

The teen looked at his hand.

"Not dead, but definitely down for the count. As you may have noticed, my sister and my mentor have powers beyond the norm. I am the same."

Ohgi raised a brow.

"You sister called her powers magic. You can use magic too?"

"Nunnally is a healer." Jace explained. "Lelouch and I are mentalists, people whose powers revolve around controlling the mind. I think we are the only two left in the world."

Lelouch crossed his arms.

"I used my powers to make the Viceroy relive the three worst moments of his life. The spell is meant to last a night, so between six and nine hours. And even then, this should leave him shaken enough afterwards that you got at least a week to hide. That's how long I was down after I was caught in the spell."

Ohgi nodded.

"A week… More than enough."

"It also explains why none of the army went after us." Kallen frowned, finally speaking. "Take the commander down and they fall in disarray."

"That's the basic of warfare. Unfortunately for him, Clovis sucks at it."

Suzaku looked at Lelouch.

"So, what are you going to do?"

"Return to my life. I saved you because the Viceroy was slaughtering you indiscriminately and I couldn't let him. Now you're safe, you don't need my help anymore."

Ohgi and Kallen nodded.

"Very well. Thank you again."

Lelouch smiled.

"Good luck, and godspeed."

As he, Jace and Nunnally left the rebels, Lelouch noticed his mentor had taken the green-haired girl with them.

"Why did you take her?"

"Because she's a Code Holder." The mentalist explained. "A very old one. She was alive during the Renaissance era. Clovis was experimenting on her and studying the relation between her and the Geass. For what purpose, though, I have no idea."

Lelouch's eyes widened.

"A Code Holder… just like V.V!"

"Yes. We will take her to Crucible on Saturday. I mentally warned the Gatewatch. In the meantime, she will live alongside you and Nunnally."

"And if she causes trouble?"

"She won't." Jace frowned. "I got a glimpse of some of the experiments she was put under. It wasn't pretty. And if she tries to step outside her boundaries as a guest, just show her some of the things Chandra or Nissa can do. She may be unable to die, but some resurrections can be quite tedious."

"Alright."

–v–

When Jeremiah and Viletta reached the command center, they expected a bloodshed. Instead, the whole base was sound asleep, the Lancelot prototype was missing and the Viceroy was alive, though he seemed trapped in nightmarish visions that made him trash and beg.

"What the hell happened here!?" Viletta swore.

Jeremiah couldn't answer.

As Lelouch predicted, the spell ended after seven hours but, for all that, Clovis still didn't wake up. The visions haunted his sleep, keeping him in a semi-delirious state. Jeremiah was appointed Acting Consul until the viceroy recovered, Viletta acting as his second-in-command.

Whenever he got some free time, he kept watch over the viceroy. Because of his trashing, the prince had to be restrained. No one knew how to make the visions end, and no one dared to wake him up. So Jeremiah watched, praying his lord would recover soon…

"Lelouch…"

Jeremiah froze. Did the prince…

"Lelouch… no…"

Tears rolled from Clovis's eyes. The man whimpered.

"Please… not my little brother! Don't… Don't kill him! Prime…Minister…"

The Consul balled his fist. He knew exactly what vision the prince was having right now. The execution of Prince Lelouch and Princess Nunnally was still vivid in the mind of many Britannians. He himself had never forgiven the Japanese for that. But it was nothing compared to his own guilt.

' _I failed them._ ' Jeremiah thought with remorse. ' _Lady Marianne, forgive me. I couldn't protect your children._ '

What Clovis said next made his blood freeze in his veins.

"Little brother… I'm sorry it happened. I understand… why… you hate us… and I am-am sad… you suffered so much. Just… tell me where y-you… you live… so I can…I can pass… once in awhile…"

Jeremiah thought he had misheard. What was the prince babbling about!?

"I… am… a… murderer." Clovis breathed. "I am… sorry, Little Brother…. Forgive me."

Seeds of doubt grew in the Consul's heart. Uncertain, he bent to the prince.

"Your Highness…" He whispered. "What do you mean?"

Clovis spoke, reinforcing Jeremiah's suspicion.

"Lelouch… You are alive… I'm so happy…"

Jeremiah was white as a sheet. The younger prince was alive!

"Viletta!"

–v–

When C.C. awoke, she was surprised to find herself in soft cotton sheets. The bed was comfortable, there were several stuffed animals around and a huge pillow in which her head sank. Not only that, but her straightjacket had been removed and she was wearing a huge shirt that was several sizes too big.

The girl stretched. After all the torments Clovis's scientists had inflicted her, it was the best awakenings she'd had in a long time.

"Good to see you awake."

C.C. turned to see a blonde girl in a wheelchair. She had lavender eyes, and her yellow robe was simple yet comfortable. Nunnally smiled.

"There's lunch waiting for you in the dining room. I also brought you some clothes. They should be more comfortable than that straightjacket."

Indeed, on a chair by the nightstand was a pile of feminine clothes.

"I borrowed them from Sayoko." Nunnally explained. "You two are the same size and she never wears anything but her maid outfit anyway. Sometimes I wonder why she keeps regular clothes. I've never seen her wear anything but her maid clothes."

C.C. didn't show any emotion. She could feel something about the girl. There was an aura of sorts, a kind of force surrounding her, seeping deep within her entire being. It felt strange to her supernatural senses.

"What's wrong with you?"

Nunnally raised a brow. C.C. explained.

"There's an aura around you, as if you were bathed in some kind of energy."

The girl's eyes lit up.

"You can feel mana."

"Mana?"

"The energy that allows me to use magic."

As a demonstration, Nunnally opened a hand and summoned a sphere of light. C.C. sat straight, eyes wide, obvious surprise on her face.

"I have never seen anything like this before. And I've never heard of it either."

"That's because people stopped using it long ago. So long, in fact, that Earth's magic went dormant. The leylines that cross this world are almost still, but this means those who tap in them to use magic are guaranteed to succeed. Not only that, their spell may even be stronger or have additional consequences." Nunnally chuckled. "I remember the time I used a Pacify spell to calm some thugs who tried to mug me. It was so strong they not only lost the will to assault me, they ended wanting nothing but to sit down and stare at the sky. Not really what I had in mind…"

C.C. didn't laugh. Her face expressed concern more than anything else. Nunnally tilted her head.

"You… are more the stoic kind, are you? Not to be offensive, but that's mildly disturbing."

"Your powers are disturbing to me." C.C. retorted. "I've never seen anyone use magic before. The simple thought gives me shiver."

A smile crept on the girl's face.

"Because you're a Code Holder, right? Well, tough luck for you, my brother and I are both magic users, and so are the people who raised us. In fact, compared to them, we are _weak_."

This time, the green-haired immortal couldn't hold her surprise.

"How do you know about the Code!?"

"Big Brother's mentor is a telepath. He read your thoughts." Nunnally crossed her arms. "We know about Geass and the Code. We know Code Holders are absolute immortals that will simply return to life no matter the way they're killed. We also know the Code is a fragment of Earth's essence, hence why you are immortal. You are bound to Earth in a way that goes beyond regular people. Finally, the Geass is a teeny fragment of Earth's essence imbued in someone by a Code Holder, and it often takes the form of a mind-related ability."

C.C. looked away.

"First new of the day. I didn't know the Code was a fragment of Earth's being."

"But you knew the rest. The nature of the Code is something my family and I discovered four years ago."

The immortal nodded.

"So, what are you going to do with me?"

"For now, you are a guest. Behave like one and all will be fine. Next week-end, though, we're taking you for a trip. There's a place we want you to see."

C.C. frowned. Nunnally shook her head.

"Don't worry. Unlike Clovis, we don't mean harm. At least, if harm comes, it won't be from us. There's someone we hope you'll meet, and we can't foresee how she'll react toward you."

A faint smile crossed C.C.'s face.

"Considering my previous predicament, this is an improvement. Alright, I'll play by your rules. I still mean to see what you can do with that magic, though. I've never seen anything like it before."

"Don't worry." Nunnally grinned. "You will."

–v–

Unfortunately for Jeremiah, Lelouch hadn't told Clovis where he lived. As a result, the Acting Consul didn't have a single lead to start his search.

"We do." Villeta reminded him. "The Ashfords have always been supporters of Empress Marianne before her death. They lost nobility and honor when she died, but I doubt they forsook their allegiance to her." The woman frowned. "They own the Ashford Academy. I don't know about you, but a school would make the perfect place for a runaway prince and his sister to hide, especially one owned by people loyal to their mother."

"So, you think they may have found haven at the Ashfords' side?"

"Most likely. If anything that's a good place to start. I wonder, though…" Viletta frowned. "Lord Lelouch and Lady Nunnally are royalty. Why didn't they return to the Imperial Family after the war? I can understand why they hid, but why did they _stay hidden?_ The whole court mourned them following their execution. There were people who loved them. Why did they not return to them?"

Jeremiah didn't answer immediately.

"From what I got from the viceroy's rambling… His Highness harbors no more love for the Imperial Family."

Villeta found herself at a loss.

"He… He hates the Imperial Family? But why? What happened to him?"

"I don't know." Jeremiah sighed. "All I know is that, apparently, the Imperial Family made him suffer somehow and he developed a grudge. Prince Clovis's state is his doing, in retaliation for the murder of the Elevens of Shinjuku."

Viletta cringed.

"At least, he didn't kill him."

"Yes, and we can all be grateful. However, given the viceroy's state, I wonder if this qualifies as mercy…"

The two fell silent.

"So…" Viletta finally spoke. "We start searching around the Ashford family?"

"I am putting you on the case." Jeremiah nodded. "I must assume my function as Acting Consul, and those functions are time-consuming. Viletta…"

"Yes?"

Jeremiah's eyes narrowed.

"You will be alone on this case. I don't know why Prince Lelouch chose to stay hidden, but he must have his reasons. I do not wish to betray him by telling the world he's still alive, so if you ever find him, tell me, and me _alone_. Kill anyone else who finds out."

"Very well, my Lord."

–v–

On Friday evening, a tiny silvery ship docked in a secluded place north of Tokyo. The Gatewatch, Lelouch, Nunnally and C.C. were waiting for it.

"Is this our ride?" The immortal asked.

"Yes. Crucible is located in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Normally, this would be a long ride, but we magic users have our ways to travel fast."

Nissa raised her hand. A path of blue energy appeared under the group.

"A major leyline of blue mana crosses Japan. By riding it, we will be at Crucible tomorrow morning."

C.C. listened silently. Lelouch and Nunnally had showed her how they used magic and explained her about the leylines. It had impressed the immortal, who was wondering how the hell humanity forgot about it. The silver ship was piloted by Kara Vrist. Apparently, the matter was important enough that the leader of the Neuroks had decided to be the group's personal chauffeur.

If C.C. was surprised by the Mirran's appearance, she didn't show it. At the same time, it took the immortal a lot to show any emotion other than boredom. Lelouch and Nunnally quickly fell asleep at the back of the ship. Meanwhile, the strong magical current carried the ship from the Japanese shores to the metallic island of Crucible. Its sight finally caught C.C., who stared at the place in pure bewilderment. Jace shook the siblings.

"Lelouch, Nunnally, we're here."

Lelouch grumbled a little but woke up. He blinked several times, chasing the sleep from his eyes, and gently nudged his sister. It didn't take long for Nunnally to wake up.

"What is this place?" C.C. uttered. "It looks… alien."

"Because, in a way, it is." Jace smiled. "The inhabitants of Crucible are the last survivors of a world that disappeared four years ago. The island was terraformed in the image of their old home."

The ship sailed toward a silver city Lelouch recognized as Lumen Harbor, the main city of the Neuroks. The architecture was unlike anything found on Earth. The entrance of the harbor was guarded by two silver lighthouses, each holding a beacon made of a sphere of blue mana. The harbor itself was connected to the city, which was partially built over the sea and possessed canals that allowed the lighter crafts to cross it. The architecture was spherical rather than cubic, each building being topped by domes or shaped akin to bubbles. Moving bridges of quicksilver connected the higher spires, allowing communication on three levels. It was flowing, almost liquid, and very eye-catching. The buildings were decorated with gold and verdigris, two colors that attuned with the sea to give the harbor a sense of harmony.

The highest spire of the harbor was where Kara lived, the Silver Library where the Mirrans had taken to storing their knowledge. C.C. observed silently. The city was surprisingly small, barely the size of a hamlet.

"And the other cities are just the same." Jace sighed. "On a population of several thousands, only thirty of Mirrodin's children survived its destruction. Some races were wiped entirely. It will take several decades before the Mirrans can begin to truly recover."

"There seems to be a lot of children." C.C. noted.

Nissa nodded.

"There has been an increase in births after the Mirrans settled. I believe this is Gaia's way of helping them. Those children will grow, and so the children of Mirrodin will become a civilization once more."

C.C. frowned.

"Some don't look four."

"Indeed, Mirran children grow faster than humans and learn just as fast. Not only that, but their ethnicity isn't related to their parents but the place where they were born. Children born in the Razor Fields are Aurioks, those born by the Silver Shores are Neuroks, those born in the Verdigris Forest become Sylvoks and those born on the Iron Slopes become Vulshoks."

"So, their biology is different from humans."

"Yes. At the same time, they are also recovering from a genocide."

Somehow, seeing as the world they lived in was metallic, it didn't surprise the immortal that the Mirrans were partially metallic themselves.

"Do they eat metal?" C.C. asked.

"No. They grow secluded gardens deeper in the island. Those places are important to them, both as a source of food and a reminder that the island is part of a wider world, and this world looks nothing like their home."

Nunnally looked down.

"The Mirrans lost their world. They found haven in ours and managed to rebuild their homes, but one day, the rest of the world will become aware of them. When it happens, they will have to be ready. Especially if it's the Britannian Empire who finds them first."

Lelouch couldn't repress a shiver.

"Knowing the local mentality, I hope it never happens. The Mirrans would face another genocide."

From Lumen Harbor, the group followed the road that led to Nexus, on the edge of the crater. As they thought, Gaia, the soul of the world, was waiting for them. The name had been given by Lelouch and referred to an antique goddess of Greece, the Mother Earth. They met her on a belvedere overlooking the lava lake. Gaia smiled as she saw them come.

"I was expecting you."

"Of course, you do." Jace crossed his arms. "You're the soul of this world. You are omniscient."

"Indeed." Gaia nodded. "I see you brought a Code Holder. And an ancient one, may I say. Claire."

C.C.'s eyes widened. Gaia's smile was one of teasing and fondness.

"I remember you. You became a Geass User in 1492. Its power allowed you to be loved by those who met your eyes. Love at first sight, one may say. In 1499, the woman who gave you your Geass, a nun called Berenice, passed her Code unto you, making you immortal. You have been alive ever since, travelling the world in the hopes of finding someone to pass your Code. For half a millennia, you looked. This is longer than most Code Holders I remember."

Liliana was jealous.

"To think I had to make bargains with demons to retain my youth… If only such power existed in Dominaria, this would have saved me a lot of trouble."

Lelouch turned to her.

"By the way, how many left?"

"Three down, one to go. I got Razaketh six months ago."

"Congratulation."

C.C. crossed her arms.

"Why did you bring me there? What is this place?"

"A nexus, a place where leylines of all five colors of mana gather. These are the only places where I can manifest in earnest. As for why you're there, it is to meet me. I am, after all, the soul of this world and the origin of Geass and the Code."

"And what do you want from me?"

Gaia's smile became dangerous.

"To tell you the consequences of the little scheme you, Charles, V.V. and your friend prepared. Listen well, _Claire_. This is what will happen if the Ragnarok Connection was to occur…"

–v–

"Thank you very much, Sir."

Viletta smiled and left the principal's office. The man had been rather elusive when she'd asked him about a pair of students called Lelouch and Nunnally. He had neither confirmed nor denied their existence, even when she had reminded him of his previous allegiance. Rather, his answer had been that, having been the principal for so long, he couldn't remember the name of every student that attended his school.

The knight had to commend him for his loyalty. So, instead, she had asked for the registers. If there was one place where she may find what she wanted, it was there. As soon as the door was closed, she peeked through the keyhole. As she thought, the principal was making a call, most likely to warn the imperial siblings that someone was on their track.

Finding the registers didn't take long. After an hour, Viletta finally found the names she was looking for.

Lelouch and Nunnally Lamperouge, age seventeen and fourteen respectively. The birthdays matched that of the prince and princess.

From there, she looked for their files. It wasn't necessary, though. The mere knowledge that the siblings were alive and at Ashford would be enough for Jeremiah, but Viletta never liked doing things in half. More information regarding the pair couldn't be a waste. It would also give her a good idea of their personality and skills. Her eyes widened as she looked at Lelouch's file.

The boy was, simply put, an honor student. His grades were, if not the highest, at least in the top five for all of his classes, sports included, with a demonstrated affinity for athletics and swordsmanship. The files noted a genius-level intellect and tendency to think fast and outside the box. When it came to chess, he was undefeated. The file added that he was vice-president of the Student Council, and very dedicated to his work.

Personality-wise, things were different. His sister and the members of the Student Council were his only friends. Outside of it, the teen was a loner and a notorious dreamer, with a documented habit of doodling weird things on his exam papers when he was bored. The note made Viletta chuckle. However, when she saw the final note, she frowned.

The two best ways to anger the teen was to hurt his friends and _racism_. Anyone making a derogatory comment toward minorities would earn himself a threatening glare. Repeated offenses were met with swift knock-outs. This bothered Viletta… and explained why he had put Prince Clovis under a mind-tormenting spell. The Viceroy had ordered the extermination of a ghetto. No wonder Lelouch had been pissed.

"All the traits of an Imperial Prince, but none of the mentality. No wonder the encounter was explosive! This also omens nothing good if he were to meet the rest of his siblings. Thread carefully, then. But why is the file not mentioning he may have powers?"

She looked at Nunnally's file next. Just like her brother, the girl was a dedicated student with a sharp intellect and impressive grades. The pair was rather alike, but the file noted that Nunnally was more open toward others and actually enjoyed friends outside her brother and the student council. Being wheelchair-bound only handicapped her physically, and she shared her brother's protectiveness toward her loved ones. Being unable to pack a punch didn't stop her. When the girl was angered, she retaliated by making verbal mince-meat of her aggressor… or had her brother do the job for her.

The file listed the kids as living in their personal home at the campus. They had a maid called Sayoko, but usually were on their own. This made Viletta wonder who had raised them. Certainly not the maid…

The files told her nothing more.

–v–

"So, this is what would happen…" C.C. uttered. "Heaven, we have all been fools!"

"Indeed."

The immortal balled her fist.

"Very well, I will help you in stopping Charles. The world may be a harsh place, but it is humanity that made life so hard. The Emperor and his brother's anger is misplaced."

"I am not to blame for the ill fate that befell them." Gaia crossed her arms. "If they want to blame anyone, it should be the society that raised them. It isn't my fault that Britannia is a power-hungry Empire that values strength and cunning to a fault, to the point it has become Darwinist, totalitarian and discriminating. I have no control over human hearts. My power resides in the cycle of life and death, the flow of mana and the natural phenomenon that occur on Earth. _These_ are my doings."

"We will stop the Emperor." Lelouch crossed his arms. "Nothing has changed since last time. Earth is my world, and the man who sired me wants to destroy its soul. Me alive, it won't happen. This is why you made me a Planeswalker."

Gaia nodded, her body relaxing.

"And I am glad I chose right. Here." She held a hand. "This is my gift to you, a spell I have no doubt you'll find quite useful…"

Lelouch leaned and Gaia's fingers touched his forehead. A gentle light passed between the two and the teen's eyes snapped open. The soul of the world smiled.

"The land remembers. The spell I taught you allows you to read those memories, and thus uncover the truths that others seek to hide..."

Lelouch grinned. Gaia looked at him.

"And you already know which truth to seek first. Go. We will be waiting."

The teen didn't need to be told twice. His first jump was in the Guildpact's Chamber, where he cloaked himself in an invisibility spell. His second jump was in the Aries Villa. The place was exactly like he remembered. The aerial gardens filled with a thousand colored flowers, its crimson halls and simple opulence…

Invisible to the naked eye, the former prince crossed the villa until he reached a specific set of stairs. Lelouch growled. Even though the memory-altering Geass had been undone and he knew what he had truly done that day, the fake memories remained in his head. The only difference was that he knew they were fake. Since there was no one in the room and any mental presence was significantly far, he allowed the invisibility spell to drop and went halfway down the stairs.

"Alright. What exactly happened?" The teen knelt. "Show me, please?"

Blue light seeped from his fingers and into the ground. Suddenly, his eyes widened and he _saw_.

 _Night had fallen over the villa. Marianne vi Britannia, fifth wife of the Emperor, stepped down the stairs toward her brother in law._

" _I have told everyone to retire, including Cornelia. Why the urgent call?"_

 _V.V. looked at her. Despite being older than the emperor, the immortal looked barely older than ten._

" _You know, Charles has changed ever since he met you. It's as if you enjoy learning more and more about each other and less and less about our plan."_

" _Nothing has changed." Marianne shook her head. "The Ragnarok Connection will come true, and we will see it together."_

" _Really?"_

" _Really."_

 _V.V. looked away. A small smile crossed his face._

" _You know, ever since the dawn of myth, it has always been the woman, who led the man astray." He sighed. "You two spend so much time together… If this keeps going, the contract we made will never be fulfilled. I'll be left alone."_

" _V.V., I told you I am in on the plan. I will help you."_

" _Lady Marianne!"_

 _The Empress turned to the two servants that had entered the room._

" _What? I told you to stay out!"_

 _In her back, V.V. took a machine gun._

" _Sorry, Marianne, but not sorry._ _ **Go to Hell**_ _."_

 _He mowed her and the servants down. As the Empress lay in a pool of blood, her gaze met that of a young girl, the daughter of a noble sent to the Villa to learn etiquette._

 _Her eyes glowed, and Marianne's soul found its way into the head of Anya Alstreim._

Lelouch panted.

"As if I needed another reason to hate V.V…"

In his head, the delicious picture of Chandra incinerating the immortal formed and played. The thought made him chuckle.

"What did Jace say, already? Some resurrections can be tedious. Guess we'll make you undergo one before we seal you."

He then realized two things. First, his mother was alive and in the body of a girl called Anya Alstreim. Elation rose in his chest.

' _Nunnally's going to be so happy! I can't wait to see her again!_ '

Then the second realization hit him.

" _V.V., I told you I am in on the plan. I will help you."_

The Planeswalker's eyes widened. _I am in on the plan._ His own mother had sided with Charles and V.V. to destroy Gaia.

The shock made him fall on his knees.

"No… Why!? Mom, why?"

It took him a moment to digest the information. Marianne, his mother, one of the persons he respected and treasured the most, was in league with his world-destroying father. It was a hard new to take.

He raised his head… and met the Emperor's eyes. The two starred at each other wordlessly, both as surprised to see the other.

Years of adventuring across the Multiverse made Lelouch react first. He threw his mind in the Emperor's and seized the part that held his memories.

" _You didn't see me._ " The teen hurriedly uttered. " _I was never here. You were alone in that room._ "

As he spoke, he tried to erase his presence from his father's mind, only to encounter resistance. The teen snarled.

"I don't have time to lose with that! Forget already!"

His will clashed against the Emperor's. Fear and panic grew in his chest.

' _I won't be your tool again! I am free! Nunna and I are free! Leave us alone, you old fart!_ '

The Emperor's will finally collapsed and Lelouch accessed the memory. He quickly rewrote it, then jumped on his feet and hid in a nearby room. One second later, he had planeswalked.

–v–

Jeremiah looked at the files. Before leaving the academy, Viletta had made a copy of Lelouch and Nunnally's records, and the Consul was glad she did. After a thorough reading, he handed them to her.

"Viletta, destroy them. The two of us are the only ones who saw those files.

"Understood, Sir." The knight nodded. "Do you have a lighter?"

"Here."

Viletta went in front of Jeremiah's desk and set the files ablaze. The pair watched them turn to ashes.

"I did some recon around their house." Viletta frowned. "Apparently, Lord Lelouch and Lady Nunnally are away for the week-end."

"Then we will see them Monday evening. I have nothing planned" A smile of genuine happiness crossed the Consul's face. "I can't wait to see them. I still remember them when I worked at the Aries Villa. They were sweet children. Clever little Lelouch and lively Nunnally. Some days, I wanted to be jealous of Lady Marianne that she had such adorable children. But I couldn't. I loved her too much." Jeremiah sighed. "If only I could have saved her…"

Viletta put a hand on his shoulder. It was a surprising yet kind gesture.

"Do you want children on your own?"

"Maybe. It would be interesting… and fun. What about you?"

"Likewise." The woman smiled. "But not adopted. If I'm going to raise children, I want them to be my own flesh and blood."

"Really? I couldn't care less."

–v–

Lelouch fell on his bed in the Guildpact's Chamber. It took him some time to catch his breath and put his thoughts together. A shiver ran along his back.

"That was way too close… And what was the Emperor doing at the villa!? Of all the people to meet…"

The teen rolled on his side and curled into a ball. He began rocking himself, his face sour.

"My father and uncle are scheming to destroy Earth's soul and my mother, the one person I looked up to, was in on the plan and an active member… until V.V. killed her in a fit of jealousy. Yeah, it was jealousy. He was jealous my parents spent so much time together. But Mom cheated death by transferring her soul in the body of a young girl and faked her death… just like Nunna and I would a year later." He balled his fists. "I hate the Emperor for altering my and Nunna's memories, crippling her, berating me so violently my Spark ignited, and then using Nunnally as a political tool. But I don't hate Mom. She did nothing wrong to us. But, if she's alive and if she's on the Emperor's side…" The teen sighed. "The Blind Eternities help me! I'll have no choice but to stop her as well. Even though I don't want to do this… Maybe I could try to convince her? Gaia managed to convince C.C., who was part of the plot. Maybe I'll be able to do the same with Mom."

His mind was set. Kill and bind V.V., stop the Emperor with the possibility of killing him, and talk down his mother or bind her if she didn't listen.

"Yeah, that will do. Now, go back to Crucible and tell Nunna the truth about Mom's death."

Despite her gentle personality, the young girl was _not_ happy with the new.

"Chandra." The girl frowned. "When you incinerate V.V., I want to watch."

"You will, sweetie." The pyromancer reassured.

Nunnally turned to her brother.

"And you're saying Mom is still alive?"

"Yes, just in a different body. If I recall the news, Anya Alstreim became a Knight of the Round about three years ago. Now I think of it, Mom was the Knight of Six before becoming Empress." A smile crossed Lelouch's face. "I wouldn't be surprised if Anya joined the Knights of the Round because of Mom's skills."

"Me neither." The girl nodded.

Jace quickly sensed the teen wasn't saying everything. This got him worried.

"Lelouch…"

"Yes?"

"There's something else, am I right?"

Lelouch looked away. The mentalist leveled his gaze.

"What is it?"

"I'm not sure I can tell."

Now, Jace was worried. He poked a little at his student's head, hoping that if he didn't want to talk, maybe he could show. After a moment of hesitation, Lelouch showed him everything. The mentalist staggered. It didn't help that the teen flew in his arms and hugged him tight. The embrace was instantly returned.

"Never judge a book by its cover." The man uttered. "Even if it's your own mother."

He caressed Lelouch's head, trying to provide as much comfort as he could. Liliana raised a brow.

"I'm getting it's serious."

"It is." Jace frowned. "Marianne is not only alive, she is part of the plan to destroy Earth's soul. Finding it out was quite a shock."

Nunnally shivered violently.

"Mom too!? Oh no…"

Her no was more of annoyance than denial. She looked at the lava lake.

"Amazing! And here I thought there was at least one good person aside from Big Sister Euphie in that viper's nest of a family! It they belong to the Imperial Family, you just can't trust them!"

"You still got me." Lelouch smiled weakly. "I may be the Emperor's son, but…"

"You don't count, Big Brother. And I don't count either. We were raised by people who don't belong to the Imperial Family, and who have better morals than a lot of people in Britannia. If we exclude Liliana, of course."

The necromancer laughed.

"Indeed. It is good that you didn't forget it."

"We are far from stupid." Nunnally crossed her arms. "We have seen you at work, and we've lived with you long enough to know you _aren't_ a nice person, and you make no bone about it."

Liliana merely smiled. Nunnally sighed.

"So, we can add Mom to our enemy list. This is really the last name I wanted to add."

"Me too." Lelouch looked down.

Jace frowned.

"And as if it wasn't enough, the Emperor was at the villa and he ran into Lelouch as he was recovering from the discovery. Lelouch managed to erase his memories, though."

Nunnally cheered.

"Serves him right!"

"Yep." Chandra grinned. "Now, that's what I call karma. How does it feel to be the one to have his memories altered for once, you old fart?"

Liliana nodded appreciatively.

"Indeed, no one can say he didn't have it coming. Well done, boy."

Lelouch smiled.

 _That evening, at the Aries Villa…_

Charles sat in a comfortable chair in his office. It had been quite tricky to retain his memories while fooling his son into thinking he had succeeded, but due to the nature of his Geass, the Emperor had a natural resistance to memory-altering powers. Opening a small cabinet, he took a bottle of wine and a pair of champagne glasses. He was sitting comfortably in a purple velvet-bound chair, the moonlight shining by the window.

"So, in the end, you didn't die…"

He opened the bottle and filled the glass. The sweet liquor brought a smile to his face.

"Tokay Aszù 4 Puttonyos, vintage 1874. An excellent year for an excellent occasion."

He raised the glass and sipped it slowly, savoring it as he reclined in his chair. The warmth that filled his throat echoed the warmth in his heart.

"Lelouch, my dear, sweet child, you are alive."

So, in the end, the video was a fake. It made him feel a twinge of regret for the Japanese population, conquered over a simple misunderstanding. In the Emperor's defense, he had fallen for it as well.

"When I get my hands on whoever made that video, by the Seven Hells, we are going to find new definitions to the word 'agony'! How dare they!? How dare they make me believe my favorite children are dead, when they are in fact very much alive? I swear…"

He sipped more of the wine, hoping the sweetness would soothe his growing anger. Later. Vengeance could come later. Tonight, he wanted to celebrate, and nothing less than the finest wine would do. The oaken door creaked open to reveal a frail girl with pink hair and glowing eyes.

"Good evening, honey."

Charles smiled fondly.

"Marianne. How good to see you tonight."

The not-so-dead Empress took a chair and sat by her husband. She raised a brow at the sight of the bottle.

"Tokay? My dear, what could warrant you to take out your favorite wine?"

"A celebration of the happiest event of all." The Emperor answered as he finished his glass and served himself and his wife. "Our son is still alive."

Marianne straightened, her eyes gleaming in joy.

"He is alive!"

Charles had barely the time to put the glasses before Marianne jumped in his arms. The two held each other tenderly.

"He is alive… I cannot believe it! This means that video was fake!"

"Yes, and I already swore bloody retribution upon the culprit."

Marianne said nothing. She went back to her seat and took her glass. Charles's face darkened.

"I found him kneeling down the stairs of the main hall. He looked healthy, but unhappy. Whatever he is doing, he is fine. One thing that worries me, though…"

His eyes fell on his glass. Marianne looked at him.

"What happened, sweetie?"

"He tried to erase my memories."

The empress nearly jumped.

"He wouldn't dare!?"

"I foiled his plan while making him believe he succeeded, but he definitely tried. I remember his words. ' _You didn't see me. I was never here. You were alone in that room._ '"

Marianne nodded.

"He only tried to make you forget his presence. This is less than I expected."

"Likewise. I believe he was looking for something in the villa. Whether he found it or not, I don't know."

"And how did he get inside the villa anyway?"

"No idea either. No one saw him enter, no one saw him leave."

A smile crept on Marianne's face.

"Our precious son got powers of his own, it seems. And it appears he knows to use them to an extent."

"His memory spell was a good attempt, I will give him that." Charles chuckled. "But he has a long way to go if he believes he can rival me."

Still, something was bothering him. As Lelouch had tried to erase his memories, he had gotten glimpses of the boy's thoughts.

' _I won't be your tool again! I am free! Nunna and I are free! Leave us alone, you old fart!_ '

The Emperor frowned. Was it why the teenager had tried to remove his presence? Why he had faked his death? Because he wanted to be free? He snorted. No man was free, no matter what they did. Not even his long-lost son. However, he wasn't a tool.

' _I only did what I did to protect you and Nunnally. It's a shame that you mistook my intentions, but I forgive you. You were young and angry._ _Maybe, someday, I will find you and explain everything to you. And, on this day, our world without lies will come true._ '

Looking at his wife, he raised his glass.

"To our children's survival. Cheers!"


	8. A truth, a dare, a respite

A truth, a dare, a respite

When the group returned to Japan, Lelouch was surprised to find a message on his phone. He listened to it…

Nunnally frowned when she saw his face pale.

"Big Brother, is there something wrong?"

Lelouch slowly nodded.

"We've been found."

The whole group paused.

"Who?" Jace finally asked.

"According to the headmaster, it was a woman called Viletta Nu. He believes he's seen her on TV several times alongside Jeremiah Gottwald. He thinks she may be a knight."

"Uh oh…" Chandra winced. "If the government itself is after you, it can't be good."

"No kidding! There's a reason we went along the death-faking." The teen looked at his phone. "He told her he couldn't remember the names of every student at the Academy, so he couldn't say if we were here or not. She asked to see the students' records instead."

"So we must assume she found us." Nunnally looked at her brother.

"Yes, and that the government will knock at our door soon, if they're not already waiting for us." His fist balled. "I won't let them get us. It is out of question. I won't return to the Imperial Family."

"What are your options?" Liliana asked.

Lelouch looked at her.

"Either we disappear again and move to another country altogether, or…" He hesitated. "Or we join the Japanese Resistance and, rather than waiting for the Emperor to perform the Ragnarok Connection, we interfere with his plans earlier by breaking his control over Japan and generating a state of unrest over the Empire."

The boy started thinking. The way his brow creased and his face darkened, Nunnally could tell he was deep in scheming. He made that exact same face when planning a clever and decisive counter in chess… or in sports games.

"This could work." Lelouch finally said. "It could definitely work. The Empire never managed to get a proper hold over Japan thanks to Genbu's merciless resistance. The military infrastructures are targeted daily and the government had to spend more resources than they could afford into maintaining them, which allowed the Resistance to act unnoticed while they were looking away, offering help and support to the suffering population. As a result, the Resistance is popular and the civilians are very supportive. The embers are here, burning strong. And with Clovis out of the picture thanks to me, the government is weaker than ever. All there needs is a spark, and the embers of resistance will become the flames of rebellion." A grin crossed his face. "I got the cleverness, I got the skills, and I got the powers. I already proved myself in Shinjuku and gained the trust of Ohgi's resistance group. If he speaks in my favor among the other groups, they will let me in, and Nunnally's healing will be more than appreciated. They will protect us from the Imperials, and in return, we will lead them into liberating Japan."

Liliana grinned dangerously.

"You dream big, boy. A revolution? Really?"

"The Empire's forcing my hand." Lelouch retorted. "I was fine hiding at Ashford, waiting until the Emperor put his plan in motion. But now, the government is looking for me. Why, I don't know. But the furthest I am from them, the better I feel. Besides…" His eyes gleamed. "The Mirrans will be with me to stop the Ragnarok Connection. If I help Japan get its freedom, its people will be grateful. I am fairly certain they'll help me as well when I call for their help."

The necromancer laughed.

"Clever boy! I knew there was a reason I like you."

Jace nodded slowly.

"This could indeed work. Besides, aside from Ohgi, you already have friends along the Resistance. Genbu, Suzaku, Tohdoh… even Kirihara. The only thing that bothers me is that it feels like Kaladesh all over again."

"You got bad memories of the place?"

"Not particularly, but…"

"We met someone Jace and I had fought several years ago." Liliana explained. "Tezzeret. He had taken control of the local government and even captured Chandra's mother. When he captured Chandra and Nissa, all of us came to the rescue. We were even helped by that big carpet, Ajani. It ended in a rather messy revolution and we collectively kicked Tezzeret's behind. It felt good, and Chandra was reunited with her dear old mom."

Lelouch smiled.

"You'll have to tell me the whole story, one day. I only know bits from Pia and Saheeli, but I'm curious to know what truly happened back then. Fortunately, nowadays, Kaladesh is rather quiet." He turned to Chandra. "Your plane of origins is beautiful."

Chandra smiled.

"I know. I still remember your face the first time you saw Ghirapur. Liliana was looking for a leash before the end of the day because you were wandering everywhere."

The teen nodded. If he enjoyed Tarkir and Zendikar for the adventure, he enjoyed Kaladesh and Ravnica for the vistas.

"Are you sure you want to involve yourself with the Resistance?" Gideon asked, worry in his voice. "You know we will be with you whenever you need us."

"But you can't fight against an entire empire." Lelouch retorted. "Besides, whether I join the Resistance will depend on how the government reacts upon finding me. They leave me alone, I'll go on with my life. They try to take me, I join the Resistance."

The Gatewatch nodded. They didn't want to involve themselves in the war, but if the Holy Britannian Empire threatened their protégés, they would retaliate. Besides, they had already agreed to help the boy in stopping his father, and none of them liked the Imperial Family.

There was no one waiting for them when they returned to Ashford. This only made the group warier. Brother and sister spent Monday on their guard, waiting for the government to show their nose, and ready to punch it when it showed up. The evening came without any disruption.

To soothe his nerves, Lelouch indulged himself with his favorite pastime: cooking. After noticing no one in the Gatewatch was particularly good at it, he had taken on himself to learn the art, if only so his mentor has something decent in the stomach after spending the whole day dealing with the Ravnican guilds. For working as his part-time assistant, the younger Planeswalker knew very well how tiresome the job was.

There was a reason Jace guzzled coffee by the gallon while in Ravnica. Lelouch barely tolerated the liquid. Too bitter.

He had finished a sweet-smelling pot-au-feu when someone knocked at the door. The teen frowned. The Gatewatch never knocked. They teleported in a room and said hello while the Student Council simply opened the door and announced themselves. Taking his largest kitchen knife, he went to the door, Gintaro by his side. The silver myr had been upgraded with retractile claws and served not just as Sayoko's assistant, but as the house's defense system as well.

The teen hid the knife in his back.

"Who's there?"

"My lord?" A masculine voice answered. "It is I, Jeremiah Gottwald. I am not sure you remember me…"

Lelouch nearly jumped at being called 'My lord'. Rather than opening, he unleashed his mental powers and looked into the man's mind. He knew who Jeremiah was. Everyone in Japan knew the Margrave, now Acting Consul while Clovis was recovering. But, and this was the weirdest part, he could have sworn he knew the name from _before_.

Jeremiah shivered when he felt the mental presence in his head. Mind Manipulation. Someone able to temper with minds would be able to make Prince Clovis relive his worst memories. It implied the ability to read minds, which was exactly what was happening to him. The man turned to Viletta.

"He possesses powers."

Rather than resisting the intrusion, he opened his mind fully. The teenager was the son of his sworn lady, Empress Marianne. He had nothing to hide to her heir. Lelouch's eyes widened when the memories came.

Before becoming Margrave, Jeremiah was a guard at Aries Villa and a faithful servant of his mother. The death of his lady, followed by the execution of her children, had left him heartbroken… until Clovis, in the torments of his memories, revealed his encounter with Lelouch. The man had instantly put Viletta on the case, though not before telling her to keep it a secret between them. His allegiance was intact. If he couldn't serve the Empress, he could still serve her son. Within the government, he, Viletta and Clovis were the only ones who knew the Imperial Siblings were still alive.

This made Lelouch relax, if only slightly. His mistrust of the government was still strong. He unlocked the door but kept the knife in hand. Jeremiah frowned when he saw it.

"I was told the government was after me." The teen explained. "Can't blame me for being cautious."

"Forgive my incomprehension…" Jeremiah looked confused. "But you are a prince of Britannia. Why would you fear the government?"

"What part of ' _used by my own father as a bargaining chip_ ' did you miss?"

"True."

"Trust me." Lelouch went to the kitchen. "After a stunt like that, when someone faked my execution by the Prime Minister, I took my chance, took Nunnally and disappeared. And, as you can see, I'm doing just fine."

Viletta had to agree. The teen seemed perfectly healthy. There was a sweet scent hovering in the air that made her mouth water.

"Did your maid prepare something? It smells good."

" _I_ prepared something." Lelouch corrected. "Pot-au-feu. The day has been long and I wanted to cook something copious. And, before you ask, yes, you can stay for dinner."

"I didn't know you cooked." Jeremiah raised a brow. "This isn't a common hobby among the royal family. Most of your siblings have their own chefs."

The teen made and about-turn and looked the man dead in the eyes.

"Lord Jeremiah, if you want us to be friends, stop referring me as a Britannian prince. I have cut all ties with the Imperial Family, and I'm glad I did. Same goes for Nunna."

Jeremiah meekly nodded. There was something intimidating in the teen's attitude. He didn't know if it was the intense purple eyes, the straight and proud allure or the imperious tone of his voice. In any case, despite having renounced his noble heritage, there were still traces of the teen's heredity in him. And it showed enough to cow people who actually knew who they were dealing with.

There were four covers at the table. Nunnally was sitting in her wheelchair, and a woman in a maid outfit that Viletta recognized as Sayoko was sitting by her side. Lelouch went to retrieve two more covers while a strange silvery automaton the Consul hadn't noticed went to make some room for them. Viletta looked at Nunnally.

"Your maid is eating with you?"

"Yes." The girl answered. "Sayoko is a friend as much as our employee. She always eats with us. It's the least we can do to repay her for taking care of our home."

"Viletta." Jeremiah frowned. "Remember what you told me: no racism in this house. Our Lo – Lelouch doesn't like it."

The woman nodded and sat. She wondered who the last cover was for. Lelouch returned with two plates and a set of cutlery, then with the delicious-smelling dinner. Jeremiah nodded at the sight of the leeks, potatoes, carrots, turnips, onions and chuck steaks served in a glass dish with some mustard.

"It isn't five-star but it sure looks tasty! Should we wait for our last guest?"

"Jace will come when his job is over." Lelouch shrugged. "He's somewhat of an arbiter and his job is tedious. Once he got some rest or when he's feeling hungry, he will come. We can start without him."

So, they started eating. The food was as good as it looked. Viletta could barely believe something so rustic could be so tasty. The door opened and a brown-haired man in a white shirt and blue pants stumbled in the room. Lelouch gave him a sympathetic look.

"Rough day?"

"You have no idea." Jace sighed. His eyes fell on the pot-au-feu. "Oh, joy! Something to fill my stomach!"

He fell in his chair, weariness in his eyes. Lelouch served him and frowned when he saw his mentor barely had the strength to lift his arms.

' _What happened?_ '

' _The usual… so to say. Do you know how hard it is to keep a demon and a dragon from killing each other?_ '

The teen winced.

' _What did Rakdos do?_ '

' _Some of the collateral from one of his 'parties' trashed one of Niv-Mizzet's labs where he was conducting an important experiment. The dragon nearly went on a rampage and I had to use every single bit of diplomacy up my arsenal to calm him down. It didn't help that Rakdos kept taunting him all along. At a point, I nearly turned my phantasms against the demon._ '

' _Ouch!_ '

Lelouch put a hand on Jace's shoulder. The mentalist smiled.

"By the way, who are our guests?"

"The government the principal was warning us about."

Jace's eyes and facial markings flared blue. Jeremiah and Viletta jumped back. Lelouch grinned.

"I thought you were tired."

"Not enough that I can't protect you in a pinch."

The teen chuckled and turned to the two knights.

"Lord Jeremiah, Lady Viletta, meet my caretaker."

Jeremiah shuddered.

"Sir Jace…" He said politely and with an ounce of fear. "I promise you Viletta and I harbor no ill intent toward your charge. We and Prince Clovis are the only ones who know he and his sister are still alive."

Jace frowned deeply. For a moment, he felt the mentalist's mind in his own, confirming his and Viletta's intensions. Satisfied, his face stopped glowing and he returned to his food. Lelouch looked at him.

"Before becoming Margrave, Jeremiah was working under my mother. That's why he went looking for me after Clovis revealed I was still alive. His old allegiance is still intact."

"But who is he truly faithful to?" Jace asked tiredly. "You, or your mother?"

"Lady Marianne is dead." Jeremiah looked down. "My allegiance goes now to her children."

"But what if she survived?"

The man and Viletta turned to Lelouch, disbelief in their eyes. Jace simply chewed his steak. Lelouch had a half-smile.

"What if, just like me, my mother had mental powers? What if she used them to cheat death, by transferring her mind in the body of someone her murderer hadn't noticed?" His eyes gleamed. "What if she was still alive, though in a different body? Would you follow her? Or would you follow me, knowing I cast away my inheritance?"

Jeremiah breathed. The question wasn't an easy one.

"Can I… have time to think about it?"

"Of course."

The pot-au-feu was followed with cheese and fruits. Jace was too tired to planeswalk, so he went for his room in the siblings' house. Jeremiah sat in the sofa, still pondering. Viletta turned to Lelouch.

"This is a hard question you gave him."

"But necessary regardless. What I said is true. The Empress is still alive. Her current host is Anya Alstreim, the Knight of Six."

Jeremiah finally looked at him.

"I don't know. Usually, I would follow your mother, but a part of me ponders. Why, if she's still alive, didn't she make her presence known? Why has she faked her death as well?"

"Most likely to hide from her murderer, V.V." Lelouch sighed. "I looked into your head, Jeremiah Gottwald. You may be a stereotypical Britannian, arrogant, racist to the extreme and highly patriotic, but you have some redeeming traits. Namely, you are loyal, almost to a fault. You are also a man of honor, who strives to do what he believes is right, and toward your brethren, you are fair. If it wasn't for that stupid Britannian mentality, I would have gladly counted you as a friend. As it is, however, I can't."

Jeremiah looked down. Viletta watched them, silent.

Lelouch walked in the middle of the room. His eyes glowed blue.

"I am willing to share one of my secrets with you. If, after witnessing it and deciding to stand with me, you can overcome your nastier traits, I will gladly accept your friendship, if not your allegiance."

The two Britannians looked at the teen. The air shimmered…

 _And they found themselves in Aries Villa, by a clear night. Jeremiah gasped as he recognized it._

" _You know, Charles has changed ever since he met you. It's as if you enjoy learning more and more about each other and less and less about our plan."_

" _Nothing has changed. The Ragnarok Connection will come true, and we will see it together."_

" _Really?"_

" _Really."_

…

" _You know, ever since the dawn of myth, it has always been the woman, who led the man astray." He sighed. "You two spend so much time together… If this keeps going, the contract we made will never be fulfilled. I'll be left alone."_

" _V.V., I told you I am in on the plan. I will help you."_

" _Lady Marianne!"_

" _What? I told you to stay out!"_

" _Sorry, Marianne, but not sorry._ _ **Go to Hell**_ _."_

 _*BANG-BANG-BANG-BANG*_

The illusion faded. Both Jeremiah and Viletta panted. Lelouch crossed his arms.

"This is what happened on the night my mother was murdered. The Ragnarok Connection is a plan engineered by the Emperor, my mother and V.V. to destroy the soul of this world, by merging it with the soul of every living human. Doing so would cause the end of the world."

Viletta turned and looked the teen in the eyes.

"Are you saying the Emperor, Lady Marianne and V.V. are planning the end of the world!?"

"That's what I said, yes."

"How did you discover it?" Jeremiah asked blearily.

"By using an aspect of my mental powers." Lelouch explained. "The land remembers. I can use my powers to focus on one place and read its memories, thus seeing everything that occurred on this spot. That's what I did in the Aries Villa."

"And how did you get in?" Viletta looked, surprised. "I remember this place is one of the most secure in Britannia! Can you teleport or something?"

Lelouch smirked.

"You can say that." ' _Because, technically, planeswalking counts as teleportation. We just teleport from one world to the other rather than within a world._ '

Jeremiah's hand tightened into a fist.

"I understand, now, why you were asking those questions. My lady is alive indeed, but she is planning the end of the world. As much as I want to follow her…" The man shook his head regretfully. "I can't. I just can't, even if it means betraying her. Because she has betrayed the world in the first place." His eyes met Lelouch's. "I transfer my allegiance to you, My Lord. I, Jeremiah Gottwald, will be your humble servant as long as you desire."

Lelouch grinned. Shadow appeared in his hand.

"I don't need a bodyguard. I can defend myself, thank you very much. But I accept your allegiance, Jeremiah. If I ever need your help, I will call for you. Just keep in mind that, as far as people are concerned, I'm dead and have cast away my family."

"It doesn't change a thing to me." The Consul smiled. "My loyalty doesn't go to the Imperial Family. It goes to Lady Marianne and her children. My Lady proved unworthy of it when I learned she plans to destroy the world. It now goes to you."

Lelouch nodded and turned to Viletta. The woman raised her arms.

"I am loyal to Margrave Jeremiah. If he swears allegiance to someone, so do I."

"Thank you."

–v–

However, Lelouch was a teenage high-school student. He had no use for vassals, and was skilled enough to be mostly self-reliant. There was nothing Jeremiah and Viletta could provide that he needed, except the guarantee the government wouldn't go sniffing around Ashford.

When classes started the next day, he was surprised to see two familiar faces. One was a redhead with a gentle face and curvy assets while the other was a curly brunette with green eyes. Lelouch's eyes widened. He had met the pair not a week ago… in Shinjuku. His mind caressed Kallen's, looking for an explanation of the girl's presence. Wasn't she Japanese?

Yes, and she was Britannian as well. A half-bred. Her true name was Kallen Stadtfeld. People took her for a sick, fragile girl who couldn't go to school because she was often ill. She used the cover to be an active member of the Shinjuku Resistance cell. This was why he had never seen her at Ashford before.

In the meantime, their teacher introduced the new, familiar student as Suze Sumeragi, an Honorary Britannian. Lelouch held a chuckle. Suze was his nickname for Suzaku. Suzaku sat next to him and gave him a discreet wink. Lelouch answered with a comforting feeling of warmth.

' _Doing fine, I see._ ' The Planeswalker grinned. ' _Welcome in Ashford._ '

' _Thanks._ ' Suzaku answered.

Lelouch looked at the board.

' _So, Suze Sumeragi? What are you and Kallen doing there?_ '

' _My father's advice._ ' Suzaku frowned. ' _He congratulated Ohgi for the success of the operation and sent some of his men to help us relocate in Saitama. Then he suggested Kallen and I go to Ashford while things calm down. I warned him of Subaru's betrayal._ ' A hint of regret washed over his mind. ' _He was the victim of an "unfortunate accident". Tires blew up and sent his car over a cliff. Kaguya took over as head of the Sumeragi family and faked papers to give me a new identity. Officially, Suzaku Kururugi went missing during the Shinjuku Incident. I am Suze Sumeragi, a distant relative of Kaguya that she took under her wing._ '

Lelouch nodded appreciatively.

' _I remember Kaguya. She may be young, but she's as clever as an adult._ '

' _Indeed!_ '

No one was aware of the pair's mental conversation. Suzaku glanced at Lelouch.

' _How are things on your side? What about the green-haired girl?_ '

Lelouch hesitated before answering.

' _It turns out she is a five-centuries-old immortal Clovis was experimenting on. Why, we don't know. But she agreed to help us for a project my family and I have been working on for awhile, so she's living with us right now. Her real name is Claire, but she goes by C.C._ '

' _Alright._ '

The teenager then brushed Kallen's mind, sending her a picture of a spot on the school's rooftop, as well as a desire to see it. It was so subtle the girl didn't notice the implantation. At the end of the classes, Lelouch and Suzaku headed to the rooftop. Kallen followed no long after. She found the two waiting for her. It didn't take her long to recognize the purple-eyed teen.

"You're the boy who helped us in Shinjuku."

"And you're the girl in the Glasgow." Lelouch smiled. "You're skilled, you know? Even without my tactical genius, you are a force to be reckoned with. Makes me wonder how you would fare in a Sutherland, or a frame like the Lancelot."

Kallen found herself blushing.

"Thanks. I'm doing my best. So…" She looked around. "When you're not busy playing the Brittanian Army for chumps, you're just an ordinary high school student. With powers, alright, but still a high school student."

"Same goes for you when you're not busy trying to liberate your country."

"Touché." Suzaku chuckled.

Kallen had to agree. She joined the two boys.

"Aside from you and your sister, no one knows what happened in Shinjuku and that Suzaku and I are involved in the rebellion. You know, it feels good to know we got allies in the place. Makes me feel safer."

Lelouch looked away.

"As I said, Nunna and I have our reasons not to like Brittania. We will keep your secret and we will help you is your cover's blown up. Though, personally, I wish to avoid crossing the path of the army if I can. The less the Government hears about me, the better."

Kallen nodded.

"You said you were among the Brittanians who opposed the regime. Good to know not all Brittanians are racist bastards."

"A shame our kind is so rare…" Lelouch stretched. "So, Resistance business aside, how's school doing so far?"

"Good." Suzaku smiled. "People give me the stink-eye left and right because I'm an 'honorary Brittanian', but they're keeping quiet. I think it has something to do with being seen in your company."

"And, compared to being a resistant, being a student is a walk in the park." Kallen grinned. "It feels good to be able to breathe a little."

"Yeah…"

The three remained on the roof, enjoying the quiet and watching the students below. After the hectic events of last week, the peaceful moment was welcome.

' _In the end, my homeworld also has its charms._ ' Lelouch thought with a smile.

* * *

 **And here is next chapter. I am not going to apologize for the delay but let's just say Kaladesh and Amonkhet gave me a bit of trouble regarding canon, so here's how it goes: Kaladesh happened but not Amonkhet. Liliana did kill Razaketh, but how is something I'll let you decide (Amonkhet wasn't published when I wrote the chapter Liliana mentions killing him, so Magic canon and story canon are at odds). Anyway, new chapter's there at last. Don't worry, Lelouch goes into Revolution if not next chapter at least the one after.**

 **Now, for the reviews...**

 **\- Shadow of a Memory: it will become difficult once Cornelia steps in. She knows warfare. Lelouch doesn't really do, but he is a fast learner with mental powers and a Darksteel sword, which can cut through anything. And besides, this story is less about karma having it out for Lelouch and more about Lelouch struggling with his mess of a family - with all the scheming, warmongering and overall madness it implies. Before V.V. stops playing everyone like puppets, they need to cut their strings...**

 **\- AsuravartintheCreatorDestroyer: well, for starter, Jeremiah and Viletta know about Marianne and have sided with Lelouch as a sort-of Knight and Lord Relationship, even though Lelouch doesn't need it - or want it. Also, Suzaku is with the rebellion this time (and will be the one with a Geass)**

 **\- GREAT CELESTIAL-DRAGON: oh, the fights will be as awesome as you could wish (Knightmare frames vs. a DRAGON - Cornelia: Cheater !)**

 **\- OBSERVER01: it will be as follows: What the... Well, it doesn't matter. I don't want anything from you and I'll FIGHT for that. And leave my little sister !**

 **See you soon ! (And I mean: I hope next chapter won't take me half a year !)**


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